Investigator

No crime, no disappearance, no mystery is too great for your sharp eyes and analytical mind. Knowledge is your greatest tool and most dangerous weapon. You lead investigations and study up on the foes and other dangers you may come across. Doggedly pursuing every lead, you arm the rest of your party with these same advantages that serve you so well.

At 1st level, you gain the listed proficiency ranks in the following statistics. You are untrained in anything not listed unless you gain a better proficiency rank in some other way.

Expert in Perception

Trained in Fortitude

Expert in Reflex

Expert in Will

Trained in Society

Trained in one or more skills determined by your investigative field

Trained in a number of additional skills equal to 6 plus your Intelligence modifier

Trained in simple weapons

Trained in the rapier, sap, shortbow, shortsword, and sword cane

Trained in unarmed attacks

Trained in light armor

Trained in unarmored defense

Trained in investigator class DC

8 plus your Constitution modifier

You increase your maximum number of HP by this number at 1st level and every level thereafter.

Intelligence. At 1st level, your class gives you an ability boost to Intelligence.

Your keen insights into your foes make you more dangerous than your basic skill at arms would indicate. Taking a moment to study your foes, you prepare to strike them in vital spots, doing the most damage you can. Your perceptiveness lets you act quickly and find hidden foes. You’ll often assist tougher members of your party, wisely protecting yourself while providing vital aid.

Few can stand up against your scrutiny. You might not be the most charming, but you see things for what they really are and develop an understanding of a social situation rapidly. Any chat is an investigation, after all.

You look for clues in your environment. Scouting, analyzing the intricacies of puzzles or mysterious phenomena, and pursuing leads over time all make you a valuable ally as your group explores.

You study up on subjects both new and old, make new allies you can share information with, and pursue hobbies that keep your overactive mind satisfied. You might make a bit of coin as an investigator, or by consulting with the local constabulary.

Start asking questions—quite involved ones—immediately when presented with a conundrum.
Press to find the deeper meanings behind anything you encounter, and to see the cogs behind the facade of the world that truly drive events.
Get so involved in a case that you ignore other matters, deeming them trivial.

Find the cascades of information you spout forth extremely helpful, if difficult to fully comprehend.
Rely on you to solve mysteries, puzzles, or other challenges requiring intellectual curiosity and reasoning.
Get a bit annoyed that you’re such a know-it-all.

Table: Investigator Advancement
Level	Class Features
1	Ancestry and background, initial proficiencies, on the case, methodology, investigator feat, study suspect, studied strike 1d6
2	Investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase
3	General feat, keen recollection, skill increase, skillful lesson
4	Investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase
5	Ability boosts, ancestry feat, skill increase, skillful lesson, studied strike 2d6, weapon acumen
6	Investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase
7	General feat, skill increase, skillful lesson, vigilant senses, weapon specialization
8	Investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase
9	Ancestry feat, great fortitude, investigator expertise, skill increase, skillful lesson, studied strike 3d6
10	Ability boosts, investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase
11	Deductive improvisation, general feat, resolve, skill increase, skillful lesson
12	Investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase
13	Ancestry feat, incredible senses, light armor expertise, master acumen, skill increase, skillful lesson, studied strike 4d6
14	Investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase
15	Ability boosts, evasion, general feat, greater weapon specialization, skill increase, skillful lesson
16	Investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase
17	Ancestry feat, greater resolve, skill increase, skillful lesson, studied strike 5d6
18	Investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase
19	General feat, light armor mastery, master detective, skill increase, skillful lesson
20	Ability boosts, investigator feat, skill feat, skill increase

Class Features

You gain these abilities as an investigator. Abilities gained at higher levels list the level at which you gain them next to the features’ names.

Ancestry and Background

In addition to what you get from your class at 1st level, you have the benefits of your selected ancestry and background.

Initial Proficiencies

At 1st level, you gain a number of proficiencies that represent your basic training. These proficiencies are noted at the start of this class.

As an investigator, you think of your adventures as series of cases waiting to be solved. You gain an action and an activity you can use to investigate cases and assist others who investigate the same topic: Take the Case and Clue In.

Concentrate

Frequency once per 10 minutes

You spend 1 minute to establish a case you’re going to pursue—an intense investigation into a single subject you designate when you use this activity. This subject is typically a single creature, item, or small location (such as a room or corridor), but the GM might allow a different scope for your investigation. You don’t need to know the identity of the subject, but you do need to be aware of its existence. For instance, finding a footprint is enough to designate the creature that left it as your subject, and seeing a hasty sketch of an item or location can be enough of a lead to start your investigation.

Whenever you attempt a check to investigate your subject, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus on the check. The exact checks this applies to depend on how you investigate and are determined by the GM, but checks to investigate are typically Perception checks or skill checks that use Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.

You can have only one open case at a time. If you Take the Case again, you must designate a different subject (or rather, they must be different as far as you know). You can’t choose a previous subject again until after the next time you make your daily preparations.

Concentrate

Frequency once per 10 minutes; Trigger Another creature attempts a check to investigate the subject of your open case.

You share a bit of the information you’ve discovered in your investigation so far with the triggering creature. They gain a circumstance bonus on the triggering check equal to your circumstance bonus on checks to investigate your subject. The GM can add any relevant traits to this reaction depending on the situation, such as auditory if you’re conveying the information verbally.

Your studies have made you savvy in many areas, but one in particular drew your intense interest. Choose a methodology. The methodologies are as follows.

Your methodology emphasizes chemical and alchemical analysis, determining information from unusual sediments and fluids found on the scene. You possess enough alchemical knowhow to whip up a few tinctures to help you with your cases.

You’re trained in Crafting and gain the Alchemical Crafting skill feat. In addition, you learn the formulas for two additional common 1st-level alchemical elixirs. Each time you gain a level, you can learn the formula for one common alchemical elixir or alchemical tool of any level of item you can create. During your daily preparations, you can create a number of versatile vials—alchemical concoctions that can quickly be turned into elixirs—equal to your Intelligence modifier. You can use the Quick Tincture action to turn one of these vials into an elixir for which you know the formula.

Manipulate

Cost 1 versatile vial

Requirements You must know the formula for the alchemical elixir you’re creating and you must be holding alchemist’s tools or wearing them and have a free hand.

You quickly brew up a short-lived tincture. You create a single alchemical elixir of your level or lower that’s in your formula book without having to spend the normal monetary cost in alchemical reagents or needing to attempt a Crafting check. This item has the infused trait, but it remains potent only until the end of the current turn.

You believe that everything comes down to data. Calculating statistics, running numbers, and using inductive reasoning allows you to determine the most likely outcome of any scenario, and anything out of place calls out to you.

You are trained in one Intelligence-based skill of your choice. You gain the On the Scene investigator feat. You gain the Observe Expeditiously free action.

Frequency once per 10 minutes

You observe your surroundings with great speed. You either Seek or Sense Motive.

You’ve learned that in most cases, especially murders, there’s far more information left in the body than criminals believe. Information from bruising to bone work, blood spatters, and even the life cycle of carrion insects can narrow the time frame substantially.

You’re trained in Medicine and gain the Forensic Acumen and Battle Medicine skill feats. When you use Battle Medicine, on a success the target recovers an additional amount of Hit Points equal to your level, and the target becomes temporarily immune for only 1 hour, not 1 day.

Investigator Feats

At 1st level and every even-numbered level, you gain an investigator class feat.

You’ve learned how to study your opponents for any possible weak points.

Concentrate

Frequency once per round

You assess a foe for weak points in combat. Attempt a Perception check against the Will DC of one creature you can see. If the creature is the subject of your open case, you can use this ability as a free action.

Critical Success On all your attacks against the target until the end of this turn, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to your attack roll.

Success On your next attack this turn against the target, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to your attack roll.

When you strike carefully and with forethought, you deal a telling blow. When you are benefitting from the bonus from Study Suspect and successfully hit the creature you Studied with a Strike, you deal an additional 1d6 precision damage. This applies only if your Strike was with an agile or finesse melee weapon, an agile or finesse unarmed attack, a ranged weapon, or a sap. For a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, the weapon must also be agile or finesse.

As your investigator level increases, so too does the deadliness of your studied strike. Increase the number of dice by one at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels.

At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill feat. You must be trained or better in the corresponding skill to select a skill feat.

You gain more skill increases than members of other classes. At 2nd level and every level thereafter, you gain a skill increase. You can use this increase to either become trained in one skill you’re untrained in, or to become an expert in one skill in which you’re already trained.

At 7th level, you can use skill increases to become a master in a skill in which you’re already an expert, and at 15th level, you can use them to become legendary in a skill in which you’re already a master.

At 3rd level and every 4 levels thereafter, you gain a general feat.

You’re able to recall all sorts of pertinent facts on the case, even on topics that aren’t your specialty. Your proficiency bonus to untrained skill checks to Recall Knowledge is equal to your level instead of +0.

At 3rd level and every odd-numbered level thereafter, you gain a skill feat. This feat must be for an Intelligence-, Wisdom-, or Charisma-based skill, or for the skill you gained from your investigative field.

At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, you boost four different ability scores. You can use these ability boosts to increase your ability scores above 18. Boosting an ability score increases it by 1 if it’s already 18 or above, or by 2 if it starts out below 18.

In addition to the ancestry feat you started with, you gain an ancestry feat at 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter.

You apply your diverse studies to your weapons as well as your skills. Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons and unarmed attacks, as well as the rapier, sap, shortbow, shortsword, and sword cane, increase to expert.

Through your adventures, you’ve developed keen awareness and attention to detail. Your proficiency rank for Perception increases to master.

You’ve learned how to inflict greater injuries with the weapons you know best. You deal 2 additional damage with weapons and unarmed attacks in which you are an expert. This damage increases to 3 if you’re a master, and 4 if you’re legendary.

Your physique is incredibly hardy. Your proficiency rank for Fortitude saves increases to expert.

You’ve refined your investigative techniques to an exceptional degree. Your circumstance bonus from Take the Case increases to +2. Your proficiency rank for your investigator class DC increases to expert.

Improving upon your keen recollection, you use your skills at deduction to perform whatever task is necessary to solve the case. You can attempt any check that requires you to be trained in a skill, even if you’re untrained in it; you can attempt any check that requires you to have expert proficiency in a skill, as long as you’re trained in it; and you can attempt any check that requires you to have master proficiency in a skill, as long as you have expert proficiency in it.

You’ve steeled your mind with resolve. Your proficiency rank for Will saves increases to master. When you roll a success on a Will save, you get a critical success instead.

You notice things almost impossible for an ordinary person to detect. Your proficiency rank for Perception increases to legendary.

You’ve learned how to dodge while wearing light or no armor. Your proficiency ranks for light armor and unarmored defense increase to expert.

Your study of combat grants you deeper insight into your investigator weapons. Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons and unarmed attacks, as well as the rapier, sap, shortbow, shortsword, and sword cane, increase to master.

You’ve learned to move quickly to avoid explosions, a dragon’s breath, and worse. Your proficiency rank for Reflex saves increases to master. When you roll a success on a Reflex save, you get a critical success instead.

Your damage from weapon specialization increases to 4 with weapons and unarmed attacks in which you’re an expert, 6 if you’re a master, and 8 if you’re legendary.

Your unbelievable training grants you mental resiliency. Your proficiency rank for Will saves increases to legendary. When you roll a success on a Will save, you get a critical success. When you roll a critical failure on a Will save, you get a failure instead. When you fail a Will save against a damaging effect, you take half damage.

Your skill with light armor improves, increasing your ability to dodge blows. Your proficiency ranks for light armor and unarmored defense increase to master.

As a master detective, you can solve any case and lead your team to find all the clues available. You can use Clue In as often as you want instead of once every 10 minutes (subject to the normal limit on reactions). In addition to the effects of deductive improvisation, you can attempt any check that requires you to be legendary, as long as you have master proficiency in that skill. Your proficiency rank for your investigator class DC increases to master.

At every level that you gain an investigator feat, you can select one of the following feats. You must satisfy any prerequisites before selecting the feat.

1st Level

You’ve collected a cross-section of information on various disciplines you can refer to when preparing for various tasks. During your daily preparations, you can cram on a certain subject to become temporarily trained in one skill of your choice. This proficiency lasts until you prepare again. As this proficiency is temporary, you can’t use it as a prerequisite for a skill increase or a permanent character option like a feat.

Whenever you Study a Suspect, you can also attempt a check to Recall Knowledge as part of that action. If you critically succeed at the Recall Knowledge check, you notice a weakness. If you immediately convey this information to your allies as part of the check, they gain a +1 circumstance bonus on their next attack rolls against the suspect, as long as their attacks are made before the beginning of your next turn.

When you enter a new location, such as a room or corridor, you immediately notice one thing out of the ordinary. The GM determines what it is, or whether there’s nothing reasonable to pick up. They skip obvious clues (ones that can be easily noticed without a check), and you find out only that an area or object is suspicious, not why it’s suspicious. For example, if you entered a study with a large bloodstain on the ground, the bloodstain is so obviously suspicious it’s evident to you already, so the GM might note that there’s something suspicious about the desk drawer instead. You would then need to investigate the drawer further to find out what specifically is out of the ordinary. You don’t determine whether creatures are suspicious with On the Scene.

You don’t typically get any benefit when you leave and come back to a place, though if a major change has happened there and time has passed, the GM might determine that you do.

Your work as an investigator makes you familiar with the criminal element. You might be a criminal yourself, or you might have just gained an understanding of how they operate. You become trained in Underworld Lore, and you gain your Take the Case circumstance bonus on Thievery checks to investigate the subject (such as checks to Steal a clue from a suspect or Pick a Lock to open a safe with damning documents).

2nd Level

You can clue your allies in not only to investigations of the scene but also to your analysis of your suspect. In addition to its normal trigger, you can use Clue In when an ally attacks the target of your successful Study Suspect, as long as they attempt their attack before the beginning of your next turn. If you do, the ally gains the +1 circumstance bonus from your Study Suspect, rather than the circumstance bonus from Take the Case.

Concentrate

Frequency once per day

Sometimes your case splinters into smaller mysteries, but you know how to never lose sight of the big picture. You designate your current case as your framing case for the day. Whenever you Take the Case again, you still change cases as normal, but you can change back to your framing case any number of times by using a single action, which has the concentrate trait. On your next daily preparations, you can choose to keep the same case as your framing case or choose a new one.

You have an intuitive sense that alerts you to the dangers and presence of traps. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Perception checks to find traps, to AC against attacks made by traps, and to saves against traps. Even if you aren’t Searching, you get a check to find traps that normally require you to be Searching. You still need to meet any other requirements to find the trap.

You can disable traps that require a proficiency rank of master in Thievery. If you have master proficiency in Thievery, you can disable traps that require a proficiency rank of legendary instead, and your circumstance bonuses against traps increase to +2.

4th Level

Prerequisite(s) alchemical sciences methodology

You’ve devoted extra time in the lab to improve your knowledge of alchemy. You can learn the formulas for up to two alchemical elixirs each time you level up instead of one (which must still be elixirs or tools). The number of versatile vials you can create each day increases by 1 if you’re an expert in Crafting, 2 if you’re a master, or 4 if you’re legendary.

When you’re on a case, you’re watchful and resolute—protected against mind games your suspect might pull. You gain your circumstance bonus from Take the Case on Will saves against the subject of your case (as usual, this adds to your Will DC against Demoralize, Feint, and Make an Impression), and you can use Clue In to assist an ally’s Will save against the subject of your case.

Prerequisite(s) empiricism methodology

Dissatisfied with only your own keen observations, you find a way to help your fellows see as you do. When you Observe Expeditiously, you can choose one ally. That ally can Seek or Sense Motive as a free action once on their next turn. Alternatively, when you use Observe Expeditiously to Seek and detect a creature, you can instead Point Out that creature as part of the action you use to Observe Expeditiously instead of granting your ally the Seek or Sense Motive free action.

Cost The price of the chosen item.

Requirements You have not used this ability since the last time you were able to purchase goods.

You have just the thing for the current situation. You take two Interact actions to remove your backpack, then draw from it an item you hadn’t previously declared that you purchased. Your character intuited that you would come to need the item and purchased it the last time they had the opportunity. The item must be a piece of adventuring gear or a consumable item, it must be common with a level no higher than half your level, and the Bulk of the item must be low enough that carrying it would not have made you encumbered.

Prerequisite(s) forensic medicine methodology

When you Study a Suspect, you can attempt a Medicine check against the target’s Fortitude DC instead of the normal check. The results are the same, with the addition that any Strike gaining the bonus from that use of Study Suspect also deals 1d6 bleed damage on a critical success.

You learn your foes’ strengths and weaknesses by watching them move. The first time you critically succeed on a check to Study a given Suspect, the GM chooses one of the following pieces of information about the enemy to tell you: which of the enemy’s weaknesses is highest, which of the enemy’s saving throws has the lowest modifier, one immunity the enemy has, or which of the enemy’s resistances is highest. The GM can pick one at random or choose which to tell you, but they can’t choose one that doesn’t apply (such as choosing an immunity for an enemy that has no immunities).

6th Level

You can focus your most successful analyses of your suspects for one accurate attack. When you critically succeed at a check to Study a Suspect, instead of the usual benefit, you can choose to gain the following benefit.

Critical Success On your next attack against the target this turn, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your attack roll.

You’re always investigating what’s around you, even as you perform other activities. You can move at full Speed while taking the Investigate exploration activity and can use another exploration activity while Investigating.

When you succeed at a Recall Knowledge check, you learn an additional fact about the subject. When you critically succeed at a Recall Knowledge check, you might gain even more additional information or context than normal, at the GM’s discretion.

8th Level

Prerequisite(s) master in Perception

Your battle insights make you more aware of concealed and invisible opponents. You don’t need to succeed at a flat check to target concealed creatures. You’re not flat-footed to creatures that are hidden from you (unless you’re flat-footed to them for reasons other than the hidden condition), and you need only a successful DC 5 flat check to target a hidden creature.

While you’re adjacent to an undetected creature of your level or lower, it is instead only hidden from you.

You can clue in all your allies at once. When you use the Clue In reaction, if any of your other allies are also attempting the same check, they all receive the circumstance bonus from Clue In.

10th Level

Fortune

Requirements Your most recent action was to Feint, Request, or Demoralize, and you failed, but didn’t critically fail.

After your attempt to influence someone goes poorly, you add another bit of information or ask a pointed question, possibly salvaging your previous attempt. Re-roll the failed check and use the new result. You can’t use Just One More Thing against the creature again for 24 hours.

You can also use Just One More Thing if you failed, but didn’t critically fail, at a check to Lie, Gather Information, Make an Impression, or Coerce. In this case, rather than taking one action, adding Just One More Thing takes you half the amount of time you initially spent on the check, with a minimum of 1 more round.

Frequency once per hour; Trigger A foe take a hostile action against you in combat.

Sometimes something intrudes upon your case unexpectedly, such as an ambush sent to bring your investigation to a close. You’ve learned how to compartmentalize your main case and open a new one for your current predicament. You Take the Case against the triggering foe, setting aside but not ending your currently active case, if you have one. At the end of the combat encounter, you close the new case against the triggering foe and return to your original case, if you have one.

Prerequisite(s) studied strike

You’re constantly studying small aspects of everyone’s movements, even without using Study Suspect. When you succeed at a Strike with an agile or finesse melee weapon, an agile or finesse unarmed attack, a ranged weapon, or a sap, if you wouldn’t deal your additional studied strike damage, you still deal 1 precision damage for every die of studied strike you have. Just as with studied strike, for a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, the weapon must also be agile or finesse.

12th Level

Concentrate

Trigger A creature targets you with an attack and you can see the attacker.

You perceive every possible way your foe’s attack could land and attempt to avoid them all. The triggering attack roll is against your Perception DC instead of your AC. Though this allows you to avoid taking penalties to your AC, it doesn’t remove any conditions or other effects lowering your AC. So, for example, an enemy with sneak attack would still deal extra damage to you for being flat-footed, though you wouldn’t take the –2 circumstance penalty when defending against the attack.

Your mind works through clues at an unbelievable speed. You instantly use up to five Recall Knowledge actions. If you have any special abilities or free actions that would normally be triggered when you Recall Knowledge, you can’t use them for these actions.

14th Level

Concentrate

You spend 10 minutes in contemplation to uncannily predict how events will play out. Choose a particular goal or activity you plan to engage in within 1 week, or an event you expect might happen within 1 week. You analyze whether it is likely to come to pass, determining whether it is highly likely, somewhat likely, somewhat unlikely, or highly unlikely. You learn a piece of advice suggesting a course of action you or your allies could take that might make the chosen event more or less likely, whichever you prefer. The GM determines the likeliness of the event and the piece of advice you learn.

Trigger You fail a check to Seek.

When you look for foes, you catch the slightest of cues. Even though you failed at the triggering check, you automatically sense any undetected creatures in the area where you’re Seeking, making them merely hidden to you.

When you study a target with resistances, you find momentary weaknesses in its defenses, allowing you to strike a telling blow. When you succeed at an attack roll that benefits from your circumstance bonus from Study Suspect, you ignore an amount of resistance equal to your Intelligence modifier for each resistance that applies against your attack.

16th Level

Prerequisite(s) Predictive Purchase

It seems impossible, but you’ve analyzed every angle and are able to just keep pulling out exactly the item you need, even in the middle of a far-flung crime scene. You can use Predictive Purchase without satisfying its requirement entry, and you can use Predictive Purchase as a single action instead of a two-action activity, during which you Interact and draw the item. In addition, five times per day, you can use Predictive Purchase to pull out a common consumable item up to 6 levels lower than your level.

When you find a glaring weakness, you can set your allies up to annihilate your suspect. When you critically succeed at a check to Study a Suspect, instead of the usual benefit, you can choose to gain the following benefit.

Critical Success On your next attack this turn against the target, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to your attack roll. On each of your allies’ next attacks against the target before your next turn, they also gain a +1 circumstance bonus to their attack roll, and if they hit with that attack, they deal an additional 2d6 precision damage.

18th Level

Concentrate

You spend 1 minute surveying a small location (such as a single room) to get an impression of events that occurred there in the last day. This involves moving about the area and studying footprints, the placement of objects, spilled drinks or blood, and so forth. You get an indistinct mental impression of significant events that happened there. This isn’t enough to identify who was involved in these events if you weren’t already aware the person was there. This can give you clues and details of the past, but not a perfect record. As determined by the GM, you might pick up minor details, like a memorable weapon someone used for a murder or the type of cloak someone wore when passing through.

Concentrate

Trigger You specify the trigger when you make your daily preparations (see Requirements below).

Requirements When you make your daily preparations, you must specify a trigger for this reaction using the same restrictions as the triggers for the Ready action. You also choose a single spell from the arcane, divine, occult, or primal list of 4th level or lower. The spell can’t have a cost, nor can its casting time be more than 10 minutes. The spell must be able to target a single creature, and you must be a valid target for it.

Whether from jury-rigged magic items, logically deduced interactions in magical essences, or other means, you have a contingency in your back pocket for desperate situations. When the trigger occurs, you cause the spell to come into effect. The spell targets only you, no matter how many creatures it would affect normally. If you define particularly complicated conditions, as determined by the GM, the trigger might fail. Once the contingency is triggered, the spell is expended until your next daily preparations.

20th Level

Prerequisite(s) Suspect of Opportunity

You are so suspicious of everyone you meet that you keep mental notes on how to defeat them all, even your own allies. After interacting with a creature for at least 1 minute, you Take the Case against the creature automatically. You can have any number of such cases open at any given time, and when you Take the Case again, none of these automatic cases end.

Prerequisite(s) Thorough Research

You fundamentally understand everything to the point where your research can’t possibly be wrong. You are permanently quickened and can use the extra action to Recall Knowledge. Your Recall Knowledge checks are no longer secret. When you Recall Knowledge, you use the outcome for one degree of success better than the result of your check, and if an effect (such as Dubious Knowledge) would give you inaccurate information from your Recall Knowledge check, you know what information is inaccurate. When one of your allies Recalls Knowledge and gains false information, you also know that information is inaccurate if they share it with you.

For the playtest, we’re including a number of additional skill feats that are particularly relevant for investigators. We’ll be collecting playtest feedback about these as well as the class, which will be part of the investigator survey.

Exploration General Secret Skill

Prerequisite(s) master in Society

In even a brief conversation or social interaction, you pick up on subtle social and visual cues to learn a great deal about a person’s origin and history. You might see green under the person’s fingernails and determine they’re an herbalist, a pin indicating their membership in a secret society, or the like. You can pick up only details that have to do with their societal role, so you might learn the district where a vampire in a city lives, but wouldn’t learn any of the weaknesses of a vampire, nor necessarily even that they are a vampire.

Spend 1 minute in the presence of someone you haven’t met before, then attempt a DC 30 Society check. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to the check if you engaged the creature in conversation during this time. If the creature is deliberately trying to conceal their nature or present a false identity, you learn about their false biography rather than their true one, unless the result of your Society check exceeds their Will DC.

Critical Success You learn the creature’s profession, specialty within that profession, and a major accomplishment or controversy from their career. You also learn the nation and settlement where they live, and possibly even the district or street. In addition, you learn the nation or settlement where they spent their formative years.

Success You learn the creature’s profession and specialty within that profession. You learn the nation or settlement where they normally live.

Failure You learn the creature’s profession and the region of the world they hail from, but no more.

Critical Failure You learn a piece of erroneous information about the creature.

General Skill

Prerequisite(s) trained in Medicine

You understand the principles of forensic medicine, making you better at examining a body to determine the cause of death or injury. You can perform a forensic examination on a body, as described under Recall Knowledge in the Medicine skill, in half the normal amount of time it would take (to a minimum of 5 minutes). If you succeed at your check, you can attempt an immediate check to Recall Knowledge to follow up on something you found, with a +2 circumstance bonus on your roll. This check is usually related to the cause of injury or death, such as a Crafting check to identify a poison or weapon that was used, or an additional Medicine check to identify a specific disease. If you prefer, you can instead make the check to Recall Knowledge about the type of creature whose body you were examining, using the appropriate skill and gaining the same circumstance bonus.

The circumstance bonus increases to +3 if you have master proficiency in Medicine and +4 if you have legendary proficiency.

General Skill

Prerequisite(s) expert in Society

Following someone through city streets comes naturally to you. You can use Society to Track someone through an urban environment. Rather than following tracks, you pay attention to the movement of crowds, ask passersby if they’ve seen the person, and follow other clues the city gives you.

General Skill

Prerequisite(s) expert in Society, Streetwise

You’re tapped into groups that know what’s going on in the streets, and you can get information out of them quickly. When you use Society to Gather Information, you can contact a member of these groups to get information directly from them. This usually takes about an hour, and doesn’t draw as much attention as Gathering Information in public might. The check and information gained follow the normal rules for Gather Information.

In addition, if you’ve consulted the underground network, you get a +1 circumstance bonus to the next Recall Knowledge check you make about the subject you were asking about, or a +2 circumstance bonus if you’re using Underworld Lore for the check. The GM might change the Lore skill related to the network depending on your location or specifics of the network you’re tapping into.

Oracle

You see the divine truths extending beyond any single deity, the great mysteries of the universe embodied in overarching concepts that transcend good and evil, chaos and law. You explore one of these mysteries and draw upon its power to cast miraculous spells—but that power comes with a terrible price, a curse that grows stronger the more you draw upon it. Your abilities are a double-edged sword, one you might uphold as an agent of the divine or view as a curse from the gods.

At 1st level, you gain the listed proficiency ranks in the following statistics. You are untrained in anything not listed unless you gain a better proficiency rank in some other way.

Trained in Perception

Trained in Fortitude

Trained in Reflex

Expert in Will

Trained in Religion

Trained in two skills determined by your mystery

Trained in a number of additional skills equal to 2 plus your Intelligence modifier

Trained in simple weapons

Trained in unarmed attacks

Untrained in all armor

Trained in unarmored defense

Trained in divine spell attack rolls

Trained in divine spell DCs

8 plus your Constitution modifier

You increase your maximum number of HP by this number at 1st level and every level thereafter.

Charisma

At 1st level, your class gives you an ability boost to Charisma.

You draw upon your mystery to inspire yourself in combat, balancing miraculous effects with the increasing severity of your curse as conflicting divine demands overtax your physical body. You cast spells to aid your allies and cast down your foes, or, depending on your mystery, you might wade into battle yourself.

You rely upon the insights and skills drawn from your mystery to engage with others. You might leverage your curse to intimidate people, or you might hide its effects to better blend in.

You reconcile the terrible conflicts that cause your curse, mitigating the worst of its effects so you can draw upon your mystery’s power again later. You remain aware of supernatural forces acting around you, perhaps peeking into the future to gain insight about the best—or worst—actions available.

You might seek to learn more about your mystery and the divine powers that you draw from. You might associate with a church or organized religion, or you might start your own faithful following centered around exploring your mystery.

View your oracular powers as a blessing, a curse, or both.
Push yourself to the absolute limits of what your body can withstand to work great acts of magic.
Rely on magical items to provide a pool of safer and more reliable magic.

Don’t realize your spellcasting draws upon divine power and instead believe you command stranger—and possibly evil—powers.
Assume you performed some terrible transgression to become cursed by the gods.
Admire your determination and the sacrifices you make to perform wondrous acts.

Table: Oracle Advancement
Level	Class Features
1	Ancestry and background, initial proficiencies, divine spellcasting, spell repertoire, mystery
2	Oracle feat, skill feat
3	2nd-level spells, general feat, signature spells, skill increase
4	Oracle feat, skill feat
5	3rd-level spells, ability boosts, ancestry feat, skill increase
6	Oracle feat, skill feat
7	4th-level spells, expert spellcaster, general feat, resolve, skill increase
8	Oracle feat, skill feat
9	5th-level spells, ancestry feat, magical fortitude, skill increase
10	Ability boosts, oracle feat, skill feat
11	6th-level spells, alertness, general feat, major curse, skill increase, weapon expertise
12	Oracle feat, skill feat
13	7th-level spells, ancestry feat, defensive robes, lightning reflexes, skill increase, weapon specialization
14	Oracle feat, skill feat
15	8th-level spells, ability boosts, general feat, master spellcaster, skill increase
16	Oracle feat, skill feat
17	9th-level spells, ancestry feat, extreme curse, greater resolve, skill increase
18	Oracle feat, skill feat
19	General feat, legendary spellcaster, oracular clarity, skill increase
20	Ability boosts, oracle feat, skill feat

Table: Oracle Spells Per Day
Your Level	Cantrips	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
1	5	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2	5	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3	5	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4	5	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5	5	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
6	5	3	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
7	5	3	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
8	5	3	3	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
9	5	3	3	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
10	5	3	3	3	3	3	—	—	—	—	—
11	5	3	3	3	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
12	5	3	3	3	3	3	3	—	—	—	—
13	5	3	3	3	3	3	3	2	—	—	—
14	5	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	—	—	—
15	5	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	2	—	—
16	5	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	—	—
17	5	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	2	—
18	5	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	—
19	5	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	1*
20	5	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	1*

* The oracular clarity class feature gives you a 10th-level spell slot that works differently from other spell slots.

Class Features

You gain these abilities as an oracle. Abilities gained at higher levels list the level at which you gain them next to the features’ names.

Ancestry and Background

In addition to what you get from your class at 1st level, you have the benefits of your selected ancestry and background.

Initial Proficiencies

At 1st level, you gain a number of proficiencies that represent your basic training. These proficiencies are noted at the start of this class.

Divine Spellcasting

Your mystery provides you with divine magical power. You can cast spells using the Cast a Spell activity, and you can supply material, somatic, and verbal components when casting spells.

Each day, you can cast up to three 1st-level spells. You must know spells to cast them, and you learn them via the spell repertoire class feature. The number of spells you can cast each day is called your spell slots. As you increase in level as an oracle, your number of spells per day increases, as does the highest level of spells you can cast, as shown on Table 2–2: Oracle Spells per Day.

Some of your spells require you to attempt a spell attack roll to see how effective they are, or have your enemies roll against your spell DC (typically by attempting a saving throw). Since your key ability is Charisma, your spell attack rolls and spell DCs use your Charisma modifier.

Heightening Spells

When you get spell slots of 2nd level and higher, you can fill those slots with stronger versions of lower-level spells. This increases the spell’s level to match the spell slot. You must have a spell in your spell repertoire at the level you want to cast in order to heighten it to that level. Many spells have specific improvements when they are heightened to certain levels. The signature spells class feature lets you heighten certain spells freely.

Cantrips

A cantrip is a special type of spell that doesn’t use spell slots. You can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level rounded up—this is usually equal to the highest level of spell you can cast as a oracle. For example, as a 1st-level oracle, your cantrips are 1st-level spells, and as a 5th-level oracle, your cantrips are 3rd-level spells.

Spell Repertoire

The collection of spells you can cast is called your spell repertoire. At 1st level, you learn two 1st-level spells of your choice and five cantrips of your choice. You choose these from the common spells from the divine spell list, or from other divine spells to which you have access. You can cast any spell in your spell repertoire by using a spell slot of an appropriate spell level.

You add to this spell repertoire as you increase in level. Each time you get a spell slot (see Table 2–2), you add a spell to your spell repertoire of the same level. At 2nd level, you select another 1st-level spell; at 3rd level, you select two 2nd-level spells, and so on. When you add spells, you might add a higher-level version of a spell you already have, so you can cast a heightened version of that spell.

Though you gain them at the same rate, your spell slots and the spells in your spell repertoire are separate. If a feat or other ability adds a spell to your spell repertoire, it wouldn’t give you another spell slot, and vice versa.

Swapping Spells in Your Repertoire

As you gain new spells in your repertoire, you might want to replace some of the spells you previously learned. Each time you gain a level and learn new spells, you can swap out one of your old spells for a different spell of the same level. This spell can be a cantrip. You can also swap out spells by retraining during downtime.

Mystery

An oracle’s powers arise not from the blessings of a single deity, but from the combined power of a given concept or ideal, manifested from the attention of multiple divine entities whose portfolios all touch on that subject. This is the oracle’s mystery, a source of divine power not beholden to any one god.

Choose the mystery that empowers your magic. Your mystery grants you special spells called revelation spells and access to divine domain spells. It dictates the effects of your oracular curse, adds an additional cantrip to your repertoire, and gives you two trained skills. It also provides you with a special benefit, as you draw insight and power from the collective divine influences that power your magic.

Revelation Spells

You can cast revelation spells, which are a type of focus spell. Though it normally costs 1 Focus Point to cast a focus spell, as an oracle, you do not have a focus pool and can never gain one by any means, even if you take a feat that would grant you Focus Points or a focus pool. Instead, you cast revelation spells, or other focus spells you learn, by drawing upon the power of your mystery, which incurs the effects of your oracular curse (see below).

Focus spells are automatically heightened to half your level rounded up. Focus spells don’t require spell slots, and you can’t cast them using spell slots (see Divine Spellcasting). Certain feats can give you more focus spells.

You learn two revelation spells at 1st level. The first is an initial revelation spell determined by your mystery. The second is an initial domain spell you select from one of the domains associated with your mystery, which you can cast as a revelation spell.

Oracular Curse

An oracle draws power from multiple deities, each with their own alignments, agendas, domains, and anathemas. The inevitable conflict between these different sources places incredible stress on your body, manifesting as a supernatural curse whenever you cast revelation spells. The more revelation spells you cast, the worse the effects of your curse, but these increasingly conflicting energies also provide you with divine benefits.

The specific effects of your curse are tied to your mystery, but all curses follow the same progression. A curse starts with a minor effect and progresses to a moderate effect. At higher levels, you can grow to withstand your curse’s major and even extreme effects.

The first time after your daily preparations that you complete the Cast a Spell activity for a revelation spell, your minor curse manifests. Once your minor curse has manifested, it remains in effect until the next time you rest for 8 hours and make your daily preparations. If you cast a revelation spell while your minor curse is in effect, you progress to the moderate curse effect immediately after you finish Casting the Spell. This effect is in addition to that of your minor curse. You can reduce the severity of your curse from moderate (or worse) to minor by spending 10 minutes using the Refocus activity to mentally reconcile the conflicting demands of your mystery and find common ground between them. While your curse is active, you can’t mitigate, reduce, or remove its effects by any other means; for example, while you are slowed 1 from your extreme curse, you couldn’t benefit from an effect that normally cancels or counteracts the slowed condition.

Drawing upon your mystery’s power while your curse is at its worst takes a terrible toll on your body. Immediately after casting a revelation spell while under the worst effects of your curse that you can currently handle, you are overwhelmed by your curse. You fall unconscious and can’t be awoken by any means for 8 hours, after which you awaken naturally and can make your daily preparations normally.

At 2nd level and every even-numbered level, you gain an oracle class feat.

At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill feat. You must be trained or better in the corresponding skill to select a skill feat.

At 3rd level and every 4 levels thereafter, you gain a general feat.

Experience allows you to cast some spells more flexibly. For each spell level you have access to, choose one spell of that level to be a signature spell. You don’t need to learn heightened versions of signature spells separately; instead, you can heighten these spells freely. If you’ve learned a signature spell at a higher level than its minimum, you can also cast all its lower-level versions without learning those separately. If you swap out a signature spell, you can choose a replacement signature spell of the same spell level at which you learned the previous spell. You can also retrain specifically to change a signature spell to a different spell of that level without swapping any spells; this takes as much time as retraining a spell normally does.

At 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill increase. You can use this increase to either become trained in one skill you’re untrained in, or become an expert in one skill in which you’re already trained.

In addition to the ancestry feat you started with, you gain an ancestry feat at 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter.

The intricacy of your divine power has grown clearer over time. Your proficiency ranks for divine spell attack rolls and spell DCs increase to expert.

You’ve steeled your mind with resolve. Your proficiency rank for Will saves increases to master. When you roll a success on a Will save, you get a critical success instead.

Magical power has improved your body’s resiliency. Your proficiency rank for Fortitude saves increases to expert.

You remain alert to threats around you. Your proficiency rank for Perception increases to expert.

You’ve learned to better balance the conflicting powers wreaking havoc on your body. Immediately after completing the casting of a revelation spell while you are affected by your moderate curse, your curse progresses to its major effect, rather than knocking you unconscious. This effect lasts until you Refocus to reduce your curse to its minor effect. If you cast a revelation spell while subject to a major curse effect, you fall unconscious as normal for when you are overwhelmed by your curse.

You’ve dedicated yourself to learning the intricacies of your weapons. Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons and unarmed attacks increase to expert.

The flow of magic through your spellcasting and your defensive training combine to help you get out of the way before an attack. Your proficiency rank in unarmored defense increases to expert.

Your reflexes are lightning fast. Your proficiency rank for Reflex saves increases to expert.

You understand the deep and complex divine power within your mystery. Your proficiency ranks for divine spell attack rolls and spell DCs increase to master.

Your ability to tap into the conflicting divine powers of your mystery grows, granting you ongoing glimpses of the future, but the physical and mental strain draws you perilously close to the grave. Immediately after completing the casting of a revelation spell while you are affected by your major curse, you become doomed 2. Once every 10 minutes, you can reroll one d20 roll as a free action that has the fortune trait. These effects are in addition to all the effects of your major curse, and they can’t be removed by any means until you Refocus to reduce your curse to its minor effect. If you cast a revelation spell while subject to an extreme curse effect, you fall unconscious as normal for when you are overwhelmed by your curse.

You can harness divine power at a level few others can match. Your proficiency ranks for divine spell attack rolls and spell DCs increase to legendary.

You fully grasp the power behind your mystery, allowing you to work magic akin to miracles. Add two common 10th-level divine spells to your repertoire. You gain a single 10th-level spell slot you can use to cast one of those two spells using oracle spellcasting. You don’t gain more 10th-level spells as you level up, unlike other spell slots, and you can’t use 10th-level slots with abilities that give you more spell slots or that let you cast spells without expending spell slots.

Mysteries

Choose the divine mystery that fuels your mystical power. This mystery might be an equal devotion to all the deities who influence the subject of your mystery, veneration of a particular ideal, or an innate calling to fight for a cause. Whatever its origin, your mystery determines the revelation spells you can cast, the curse that overtakes your body when you do, and provides you knowledge about related skills. You also gain access to a cantrip and a special benefit drawn from the combined divine knowledge and experience of your mystery.

Reading A Mystery Entry

A mystery entry contains the following information, followed by a description of that mystery’s curse.

Mystery Benefit The mystery benefit is a special ability (or abilities) you gain from your mystery.

Trained Skills You become trained in the listed skills.

Granted Cantrip You automatically add this cantrip to your spell repertoire, in addition to those you gain through divine spellcasting.

Related Domains These are the cleric domains associated with your mystery. You select one initial domain spell from one of these domains, which you can cast as a revelation spell.

Revelation Spells You automatically gain the initial revelation spell at 1st level and can gain more by selecting the Advanced Revelation, Greater Revelation, and Diverse Mystery feats.

You uphold the glory of combat, fight to improve the world, prepare against the necessity of conflict, or endure the inevitability of war. You might draw upon deities such as Gorum, Iomedae, Rovagug, the Horseman of War Szuriel, the Queen of the Night Eiseth, the Vudrani god Diomazul, and others, or you might find power in the unending conflict between the armies of Heaven and Hell or the Elemental Planes, the Outer Gods, or even the collective spirits of those who fought in wars over the ages.

Mystery Benefit You are no stranger to the trappings of warfare. You are trained in light, medium, and heavy armor. At 13th level, if you gain the defensive robes class feature, you also gain expert proficiency in these armors.

Choose one weapon group that embodies your mystery. You are trained in all martial weapons of that group. At 11th level, if you gain the weapon expertise class feature, you also gain expert proficiency for martial weapons in your chosen group.

Granted Cantrip divine lance

Related Domains might, zeal

Revelation Spells initial: call to arms; advanced: battlefield persistence; greater: borrow feat

You thrive while adrenaline flows and your life depends on your might alone, but holding the collective battle prowess of the ages within you leaves your body weak and weary after a fight, craving the next battle.

Minor Curse: Your body languishes when you aren’t bringing harm to your foes. You take a –2 status penalty to AC and saving throws, but each time you make a Strike, you can suspend these penalties until the start of your next turn.

Moderate Curse: The strain of conflict wears upon your body even though you gain vitality from it. You take the penalties from your minor curse, but making a Strike reduces the penalty to –1 rather than suspending it entirely. You gain fast healing equal to half your level while in a non-trivial combat encounter.

Major Curse (11th): Your body proves capable of truly heroic feats, but doing so interferes with your mental focus. You take all the effects of your moderate curse, except the fast healing is equal to your level. You also gain a +4 status bonus to damage rolls, but you are stupefied 2.

Fire is at the center of the world, the center of the sun, and the center of civilization. You might revere this primal essence, you might siphon power from the Elemental Plane of Fire, or you might venerate a collection of deities including Asmodeus, Sarenrae, the Tian goddess Lady Nanbyo, the empyreal lord Ragathiel, the elemental lord Ymeri, and the ancient Osirian god Ra.

Mystery Benefit Like fire itself, you flicker and dance, avoiding effects that would quench your vitality. You have expert proficiency in Reflex saves. At 13th level, if you gain the lightning reflexes class feature, your proficiency rank for Reflex saves increases to master.

Trained Skill: Acrobatics and Intimidation

Granted Cantrip produce flame

Related Domains fire, sun

Revelation Spells initial: incendiary aura; advanced: whirling flames; greater: flaming fusillade

You see flames and smoke wherever you look. These flames might be imagined, or they might be a preternatural glimpse of the metaphorical fires that empower the entire multiverse.

Minor Curse: Smoke, heat, and crackling flames fill your vision and all your other senses. Creatures further away than 30 feet are concealed from you. As the concealment comes from your curse, you can’t benefit from effects that would allow you to ignore or mitigate the concealment, as is normal for an oracle’s curse.

Moderate Curse: Smoke and flickering visions of flame fill your senses more completely, and harmless flickers of obscuring flames also fill your space. You are concealed from other creatures, and all other creatures and objects are concealed from you; however, you do not need to attempt a flat check to make spell attack rolls for fire spells against creatures within 30 feet. All your senses become imprecise beyond 30 feet, meaning everything past 30 feet is either hidden or undetected. As the other creatures are not themselves cursed, they can benefit from effects that would allow them to ignore or mitigate the concealment, as normal.

Major Curse (11th): The flames surrounding you are no longer simply visions. You have all the effects of your moderate curse, plus you gain a 5-foot aura of fire that deals 2d6 fire damage to all other creatures in the aura at the start of each of your turns (basic Reflex save). You lose 2d6 Hit Points at the end of your turn each round, with no save; if you have a weakness to fire, increase the number of Hit Points you lose by that weakness. You can avoid taking this damage for that round by spending a single action, which has the concentrate trait, to turn your attention on momentarily diminishing the flames. While Refocusing to reduce your curse, you are continually diminishing the flames, so you don’t lose Hit Points, and they fade while you are unconscious. As usual for oracle curses, you can’t mitigate or reduce the lost Hit Points in any way.

You uphold the sanctity of life, or maybe you seek to undermine it. You might draw power from the collective vitality of the world’s living creatures, hold some thread of connection to the Positive Energy Plane, or revere a collection of deities including Irori, Pharasma, Sarenrae, the Tian deity Qi Zhong, the Vudrani deity Arundhat, and the Stag Mother of the Forest of Stones in Sarkoris.

Mystery Benefit Your body is a deep reservoir of life energy. At each level, you gain Hit Points equal to 10 plus your Constitution modifier, instead of 8 plus your Constitution modifier.

Trained Skills Medicine and Survival

Granted Cantrip stabilize

Related Domains death, healing

Revelation Spells initial: delay affliction; advanced: life link; greater: healing form

Life energy flows outward from you and connects you to all living things, but you expend your vital essence to do so.

Minor Curse: As you bleed your life force away, it is more difficult to keep your body functioning. The DC of all beneficial Medicine checks to affect you increases by 5 (if a creature is rolling one check to affect multiple creatures, it rolls once and compares the result to your DC separately), and effects that restore Hit Points to you take a status penalty equal to half your level (minimum 1) to the number of Hit Points you recover.

Moderate Curse: The flow of life energy away from you can’t be reversed. In addition to the effects of your minor curse, you can’t be healed by effects originating from other creatures, though you are affected normally by elixirs, potions, and other items; if you are unconscious, external healing effects can restore you to 1 HP. When you cast heal and all your targets would be healed by the effect, you roll d12s instead of d8s. Whenever you finish the Cast a Spell activity for a non-cantrip spell, you restore Hit Points equal to the spell level to either one target of the spell or the creature nearest to you (your choice, but in no case can you restore these Hit Points to yourself).

Major Curse (11th): Life energy tears through you to empower your magic. You retain the effects of your minor and moderate curse. In addition, some of your spells carry positive energy with them. Each time you use a spell slot to cast a 5th-level or higher spell that takes 2 or more actions to cast, you disperse positive energy in a 30-foot burst with the effects of a 3-action heal spell with a level 4 lower than that of the spell you cast. This healing occurs immediately after you finish Casting the Spell. You don’t benefit from this healing, and you instead lose twice the amount of Hit Points rolled for the heal spell; as usual for oracle curses, you can’t mitigate or reduce the lost Hit Points in any way.

At every level that you gain an oracle feat, you can select one of the following feats. You must satisfy any prerequisites before selecting the feat.

1st Level

Oracle

Prerequisite(s) flames mystery

Your mystery allows you to cast certain spells that most others can’t. Add the following spells to your spell list, depending on your mystery. You still need to add these spells to your repertoire as normal to cast them, but you can do so at the same level you select this feat.

Flames 1st: burning hands, 3rd: fireball, 9th: meteor swarm

Divination Divine Oracle Secret

You tap into the collected lore of the divine, accessing a variety of potentially useful information. Attempt a Religion check to Recall Knowledge, regardless of the topic; the GM might adjust the DC of the check for topics far removed from your mystery. Use the following effects in place of those for Recall Knowledge.

Critical Success You recall the knowledge accurately or gain a useful clue from the divine about your situation.

Success You learn two pieces of information about the topic, one true and one erroneous, but you don’t know which is which.

Failure You recall incorrect information or gain an erroneous or misleading clue.

Critical Failure You recall two pieces of incorrect information or gain two erroneous or misleading clues.

Concentrate Metamagic Oracle

You can extend your spells’ range. If the next action you use is to Cast a Spell that has a range, increase that spell’s range by 30 feet. As is standard for increasing spell ranges, if the spell normally has a range of touch, you extend its range to 30 feet.

Manipulate Metamagic Oracle

You manipulate the energy of your spell, causing it to affect a wider area. If the next action you use is to Cast a Spell that has an area of a burst, cone, or line and does not have a duration, increase the area of that spell. Add 5 feet to the radius of a burst that normally has a radius of at least 10 feet (a burst with a smaller radius is not affected). Add 5 feet to the length of a cone or line that is normally 15 feet long or smaller, and add 10 feet to the length of a larger cone or line.

2nd Level

Oracle

Study broadens your range of simple spells. Add two additional cantrips from your spell list to your repertoire.

Oracle

Trigger You attempt a saving throw against a magical effect, but you haven’t rolled yet.

You summon divine energy to shield yourself, offering protection against other traditions but leaving you exposed to other divine effects. Until the beginning of your next turn, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to saving throws against non-divine magical effects, but you also take a –1 circumstance penalty to saves against divine effects.

Oracle

Your mystery touches on a divine domain from the divine beings that fuel it, and you can access that power. Choose one of the domains associated with your mystery for which you don’t already have an initial domain spell. You gain an initial domain spell from that domain, which you can cast as a revelation spell.

4th Level

Oracle

Frequency once per turn

Requirements Your most recent action was to cast a non-cantrip spell.

You siphon the residual energy from the last spell you cast into one weapon you’re wielding. Until the end of your turn, the weapon deals an extra 1d6 damage of a type depending on the school of the spell you just cast.

Abjuration force damage
Conjuration or Transmutation same type as the weapon
Divination, Enchantment, or Illusion mental damage
Evocation a type the spell dealt, or force damage if the spell didn’t deal damage
Necromancy negative damage

Oracle

You can call upon divine insights to best your foes. You learn the vision of weakness revelation spell.

6th Level

Oracle

Prerequisite(s) initial revelation spell

You learn an advanced revelation spell associated with your mystery. In addition, you learn to forestall the effects of your curse somewhat. Once per day, you can cast a revelation spell without increasing the severity of your curse.

Divination Divine Oracle

Your eyes pierce the veils between worlds. You can see the Ethereal Plane clearly with a range of 60 feet. While you do, your senses on the Material Plane are dimmed, causing everything to be concealed to you and making you blinded in an area of dim light or darkness, regardless of any low-light vision or darkvision you have. This effect lasts until you use Ethereal Sense again to dismiss it.

Oracle

Confident in your technique, you don’t easily lose your concentration when you Cast a Spell. If another creature’s reaction would disrupt your spellcasting action, attempt a DC 15 flat check. If you succeed, your action isn’t disrupted.

8th Level

Oracle

Prerequisite(s) battle mystery

You gain access to the critical specialization effects of all weapons and unarmed attacks in which you have trained or better proficiency.

Divination Exploration Oracle Prediction

You spend 10 minutes and open yourself to the divine mysteries of the world, peering into the most sinister portents of the future. You gain the effects of augury, except you learn only about the dangers ahead; any results of “weal” are instead “nothing,” and results of “weal and woe” are instead “woe.” If you are legendary in Religion, you take only 1 minute to Read Disaster.

10th Level

Oracle

Prerequisite(s) initial revelation spell

You learn a greater revelation spell associated with your mystery. In addition, your ability to forestall your curse’s effects improves. You can cast a revelation spell without increasing the severity of your curse once per day; if you have the Advanced Mystery feat, you can cast a revelation spell without increasing the severity of your curse a total of twice per day instead of once per day.

Divination Divine Oracle

Trigger You are about to roll for initiative.

You have a flash of insight about impending danger related to one ally and can shout or gesture to warn that ally of the threat a moment before it materializes. One ally of your choice can roll twice for initiative and use the better result; this is a fortune effect.

If you are legendary in Religion, you receive two visions and can warn two allies, granting them both this benefit. You are momentarily thrown off by the divine insight, however, and you must roll twice for your initiative roll and use the worse result; this is a misfortune effect. The two effects are tied together; if you avoid the misfortune effect for any reason, your allies don’t gain the benefits of the fortune effect. Depending on whether you use gestures or call out, this action gains either the visual or auditory trait, respectively.

Concentrate Metamagic Oracle

Frequency once per day

If your next action is to cast an oracle cantrip or an oracle spell that is at least 2 levels lower than the highest level oracle spell you can cast, reduce the number of actions to cast it by 1 (minimum 1 action).

12th Level

Oracle

You command a deep understanding of the divine domains related to your mystery. Choose one of the domains associated with your mystery for which you have an initial domain spell. You gain an advanced domain spell from that domain, which you can cast as a revelation spell.

Metamagic Oracle

You tap into the cosmos, making yourself into a conduit for raw energy, but doing so makes you vulnerable to the same damage. If the next action you use is to Cast a Spell that doesn’t have a duration and deals cold, electricity, or fire damage, choose one type from those damage types that the spell deals. You gain a status bonus to that spell’s damage of the chosen type equal to twice the spell’s level. You gain weakness to that damage type equal to the spell level for 1 minute or until you use this ability again, whichever comes first.

14th Level

Detection Divination Oracle

You have a literal sixth sense for magic, but the constant additional input blurs your other senses. You sense the presence and school of magic auras as though you were continuously using a 3rd-level detect magic spell, but you take a –2 penalty to Perception. You can suppress this sense and its penalty until the end of your next turn by spending a single action, which has the concentrate trait.

Oracle

Your mystery holds unknowable depths of magic not always associated with the divine. You can have one spell in your spell repertoire from a tradition other than divine, in addition to spells you added to your spell list from feats like Divine Element. You cast that spell as a divine spell. You can swap which spell you add and from which tradition as you could any other oracle spell, but you can’t have more than one spell from another tradition in your spell repertoire at the same time using this feat.

16th Level

Oracle

Prerequisite(s) Advanced Revelation

You have broadened your understanding of the divine and can tap into the wonders of a different mystery. Select one revelation spell from a different mystery. You can choose only an initial revelation spell, or an advanced revelation spell if you have Advanced Revelation.

When you cast this revelation spell, you gain the effects of the minor curse from that mystery in addition to the normal curse effects you gain from casting a revelation spell. This additional minor curse effect remains until your next daily preparations, and you can’t forestall it using any ability that lets you cast a revelation spell without increasing the severity of your curse. You can’t cast your chosen spell if any of the following conditions are true: its mystery’s curse directly conflicts with or negates your own mystery’s curse, the curse would have no effect on you (for example, removing an ability from the original mystery that you lack), or either of these criteria would be met once you complete Casting the Spell.

Mental Metamagic Oracle Visual

Your spellcasting is rife with strange lights, esoteric gestures, and other captivating effects. If the next action you use is to Cast a Spell that includes a spell attack roll or requires a saving throw, creatures you hit or that fail their saves are fascinated until the start of your next turn. If a creature you hit or that failed its save attempts to use a reaction triggered by your Cast a Spell activity, they take a –2 circumstance penalty to attack rolls or skill checks made as part of the reaction.

18th Level

Oracle

Your mind and body can stand up for a short time to the devastation of overdrawing your curse. When you would become unconscious due to being overwhelmed by your curse, you can choose to stay conscious for up to 1 minute. Each turn during that time, you can cast one revelation spell granted by your mystery (not domain spells, spells from Diverse Mystery, or other revelation spells you gained from other abilities) without falling unconscious or taking any further negative effect. At the end of the minute, you become unconscious as normal from being overwhelmed by your curse, and you must attempt a DC 40 Fortitude save.

Critical Success You are not affected.

Success You are drained 1.

Failure You are drained 4.

Critical Failure You die.

Oracle

The power of your mystery surges through you like a font of energy, even when your magic dwindles. Twice per day, you can cast a spell after you’ve run out of spell slots of the appropriate spell level; the two spells you cast with this feat must be of different spell levels.

20th Level

Oracle

The power of your mystery allows you to cast more than just revelation spells. When you cast a 5th-level or lower spell that has no duration, instead of spending a spell slot, you can choose to advance your curse; when you advance your curse in this way, it has the same effects as when you cast a revelation spell.

Oracle

Prerequisite(s) oracular clarity

You can tap into deep reserves of miraculous power. You gain an additional 10th-level spell slot.

Oracle

Prerequisite(s) Greater Revelation

Your mystery’s truest depths are fathomless and contradictory, granting you changing powers that even you can barely fathom. Each day during your daily preparations, choose any basic or advanced domain spell from any domain or another domain to which you have access, or any initial or advanced revelation spell from another mystery. You gain that spell as a revelation spell until your next daily preparations.

Uncommon Divination Divine Oracle

Cast [reaction] verbal; Trigger You are about to roll a saving throw, but you haven’t rolled yet.

You won’t be easily removed from the clamor of battle. You gain a +2 status bonus to the triggering saving throw, and if the triggering save is against an incapacitation effect, it treats you as if you were 2 levels higher.

Uncommon Auditory Enchantment Oracle

Cast [reaction] verbal; Trigger You roll for initiative.

Area 20-foot emanation

Duration 1 minute

You cry out a call to arms, inspiring your allies to enter the fray with vigor. Each ally in the area gains a +2 status bonus to their initiative rolls and gains temporary Hit Points equal to the spell’s level; these temporary Hit Points last for the spell’s duration.

Heightened (6th) The bonus increases to +3.

Heightened (9th) The bonus increases to +4.

Uncommon Healing Necromancy Oracle

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Range 30 feet; Targets 1 creature

With a surge of healing energy, you push back against an affliction threatening the target. You attempt a counteract check against any one affliction you are aware the target has, suspending its effects for 1 hour on a success rather than removing it. The target is then temporarily immune to delay affliction for 1 day. You don’t need to have identified the name of the specific affliction, but you do need to be aware of its effects; for instance, you couldn’t delay an ingested poison during its onset period unless you were aware of the poison.

Heightened (6th) You attempt to suspend the effects of all afflictions affecting the target, whether you’re aware of them or not.

Uncommon Evocation

Mental Oracle

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Range 30 feet; Targets 1 creature

Saving Throw basic Will

You force another creature to experience a momentary glimpse of the impossible conflicts between the divine anathema that create your curse, but doing so forces to you reckon with them as well. You and the target each take 8d6 mental damage (basic Will save) and the target is stunned 1 on a critical failure; you use a degree of success one better than the result you rolled for your saving throw.

Heightened (+1) The damage increases by 3d6.

Uncommon Healing Necromancy Oracle< Positive

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Duration 1 minute

You transcend your physical form, becoming a beacon of healing energy. You exude bright light like a torch. You gain resistance 5 to precision damage and weakness 5 to negative damage. Your unarmed Strikes deal an extra 1d4 positive damage.

A creature that touches you or damages you with an unarmed attack or non-reach melee weapon takes 3d4 positive damage (as normal, positive damage can harm only undead and other creatures with negative healing). You can touch an ally with an Interact action to restore 6d8 Hit Points to them, and allies who touch you with an Interact action gain the same healing; either way, they become temporarily immune to healing form’s healing for 1 minute. You can’t heal yourself with healing form.

Heightened (+1) Increase the Hit Points restored with an Interact action by 1d8 and increase the positive damage by 1d4

Uncommon Oracle

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Duration 1 minute

You gain the ability to perform a specialized combat technique from the vast wealth of martial knowledge your mystery provides. When you Cast this Spell, choose one common fighter feat, or any other fighter feat to which you have access. The chosen feat’s level can be no higher than heroic feat’s spell level. It must grant an action, it can’t have a Frequency entry, and you must meet the feat’s other prerequisites.

You can use the action granted by your chosen feat, subject to its normal trigger and requirements, if any. Once you use the borrowed action, the spell’s duration ends..

Uncommon Evocation Fire Oracle

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Duration 1 minute

You call upon an endless barrage of flames, growing miniature fireballs in your hands and hurling them at foes. You cast produce flame as part of casting flaming fusillade. For the duration of flaming fusillade, produce flame’s casting time is reduced from 2 actions to 1.

Heightened (9th) For the duration, you also gain a status bonus to your damage with produce flame equal to flaming fusillade’s spell level.

Uncommon Evocation Fire Oracle

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Area 10-foot emanation

Duration 1 minute

You surround yourself with an aura of potential flame. Each time a creature within the aura takes fire damage, it catches on fire, taking 1d4 persistent fire damage.

Heightened (2nd) The damage is 2d4.

Heightened (4th) The damage is 2d4 and the range is a 15-foot emanation.

Heightened (6th) The damage is 3d4 and the range is a 15-foot emanation.

Heightened (8th) The damage is 3d4 and the range is a 20-foot emanation.

Uncommon Healing Necromancy Oracle< Positive

Cast [one-action] somatic

Range 30 feet; Targets 1 creature

Duration 1 minute

You forge a connection of life energy between you and your target, distributing harm between the two of you. The first time each round that the target takes damage, reduce the damage they take by 5 (minimum 0). You lose 5 Hit Points (or the total damage dealt, if less than 5), which ignores any immunities or resistances you have and can’t otherwise be mitigated in any way.

The spell ends immediately if you fall unconscious.

Heightened (6th) You can target 2 creatures, and increase the maximum damage reduced and Hit Points lost to 10.

Heightened (9th) You can target 3 creatures, and increase the maximum damage reduced and Hit Points lost to 15.

Uncommon Divination Oracle

Cast [one-action] somatic

Targets 1 creature

You focus your gaze on a creature and gain a flash of divine insight into its nature. If the creature has any weaknesses, you learn them. If not, you learn an inherent understanding of its movements and gain a +1 circumstance bonus to your next attack roll (or skill check made as part of an attack action) against that foe before the end of your turn. The target is then temporarily immune to vision of weakness for 1 day.

Uncommon Evocation Fire Oracle

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Range 30 feet; Area up to two non-overlapping 5-foot bursts

Saving Throw basic Reflex

You call forth a storm of whirling flames, engulfing all creatures in that area and dealing 5d6 fire damage.

Heightened (+2) The damage increases by 3d6, and you can add another non-overlapping 5-foot burst to the area.

Swashbuckler

Many warriors rely on brute force, burdensome armor, or cumbersome weapons. For you, battle is a dance where your speed and agility let you move among foes with style and grace. You dart among combatants with flair and land powerful finishing moves with a flick of wrist and a flash of the blade, followed by elegant ripostes that keep enemies off balance. Harassing and thwarting your foes lets you charm fate and cheat death time and again, with aplomb and plenty of style.

At 1st level, you gain the listed proficiency ranks in the following statistics. You are untrained in anything not listed unless you gain a better proficiency rank in some other way.

Expert in Perception

Trained in Fortitude

Expert in Reflex

Expert in Will

Trained in Acrobatics

Trained in one skill determined by your swashbuckler’s style

Trained in a number of additional skills equal to 4 plus your Intelligence modifier

Trained in simple weapons

Trained in martial weapons

Trained in unarmed attacks

Trained in light armor

Trained in unarmored defense

Trained in swashbuckler class DC

10 plus your Constitution modifier

You increase your maximum number of HP by this number at 1st level and every level thereafter.

Dexterity. At 1st level, your class gives you an ability boost to Dexterity.

You show off to gain panache, leveraging your flair to build up to powerful finishing moves followed by punishing retorts. You stay nimble, moving into the best position to perform your maneuvers while dodging enemy blows. You might frighten your foes, distract them, or slip past their defenses, depending on your swashbuckler’s style.

You are equally likely to charm or intimidate others—or both. You might be an adept socialite, or you might create distractions for others who do the talking.

You keep a careful eye on your surroundings and other people, always prepared to leap into action with bravado and flair. You interact with the environment in sweeping and bold ways.

You might carouse at the tavern, repair and maintain your armaments, or train to learn new techniques. To maintain your impressive reputation, you might build an organization in your name or establish a following of admirers.

Portray yourself as a heroic daredevil or a roguish braggart, but you know you can live up to the image you present.
Hold yourself in high esteem, confident in your abilities and your reputation.
Practice your skills and maneuvers regularly to ensure you never grow rusty.

Admire your theatrics, bravado, and skill with a blade.
Find you arrogant unless they know you well enough to appreciate your style.
Underestimate how much of a threat you pose until they face the end of your blade.

Table: Swashbuckler Advancement
Level	Class Features
1	Ancestry and background, initial proficiencies, panache, swashbuckler’s style, precise strike 2d6, confident finish, shield block, swashbuckler feat
2	Skill feat, swashbuckler feat
3	General feat, great fortitude, opportunistic retort, skill increase, vivacious speed +10 feet
4	Skill feat, swashbuckler feat
5	Ability boosts, ancestry feat, precise strike 3d6, skill increase, weapon expertise
6	Skill feat, swashbuckler feat
7	Evasion, general feat, skill increase, vivacious speed +15 feet, weapon specialization
8	Skill feat, swashbuckler feat
9	Ancestry feat, precise strike 4d6, exemplary finisher, skill increase, swashbuckler expertise
10	Ability boosts, skill feat, swashbuckler feat
11	General feat, skill increase, vigilant senses, vivacious speed +20 feet
12	Skill feat, swashbuckler feat
13	Ancestry feat, precise strike 5d6, improved evasion, light armor expertise, skill increase, weapon mastery
14	Skill feat, swashbuckler feat
15	Ability boosts, general feat, greater weapon specialization, keen flair, skill increase, vivacious speed +25 feet
16	Skill feat, swashbuckler feat
17	Ancestry feat, precise strike 6d6, resolve, skill increase,
18	Skill feat, swashbuckler feat
19	General feat, eternal confidence, light armor mastery, skill increase, vivacious speed +30 feet
20	Ability boosts, skill feat, swashbuckler feat

Class Features

You gain these abilities as a swashbuckler. Abilities gained at higher levels list the level at which you gain them next to the features’ names.

Ancestry and Background

In addition to what you get from your class at 1st level, you have the benefits of your selected ancestry and background.

Initial Proficiencies

At 1st level, you gain a number of proficiencies that represent your basic training. These proficiencies are noted at the start of this class.

You care as much about the way you accomplish something as whether you actually accomplish it in the first place. When you perform an action with particular style, you can leverage this moment of verve to perform spectacular, deadly maneuvers. This state of flair is called panache. You either are in a state of panache or you are not, but while you have panache, you are more effective at performing actions that would give you panache if you didn’t already have it, as described below.

You gain panache by successfully performing specific actions that have a bit of flair, including Tumble Through and additional actions determined by your swashbuckler’s style. You also gain panache at the start of an encounter if your actions prior to the encounter led to you rolling Acrobatics or your style’s associated skill for initiative. At the GM’s discretion, after succeeding at a check to perform a particularly daring action, such as swinging on a chandelier, or sliding down the drapery, you also gain panache if your result is high enough (typically if it’s at least as high as the very hard DC for your level, but the GM can choose a different threshold).

While you have panache, you gain a +5-foot status bonus to your Speeds, you deal extra precision damage if you have the precise strike class feature, and you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to any check that would cause you to gain panache on a success. While you have panache, you can perform powerful finisher actions, including Confident Finish, after which you lose your panache.

Normally you gain and use panache only in combat encounters, and when an encounter ends, you lose panache if you had it.

As a swashbuckler, you have your own distinctive style that carries you through everyday events and life-or-death situations alike. Choose a swashbuckler’s style. This style determines the skill you use to gain panache. The styles are as follows.

You boast, taunt, and psychologically throw your foes off balance. You are trained in Intimidation. You start an encounter with panache if you rolled Intimidation for initiative. You gain panache during an encounter whenever you successfully Demoralize a foe.

You guard your movements carefully, feinting and creating false openings to lead your foe into inopportune attacks. You start an encounter with panache if you rolled Deception for initiative. You are trained in Deception. You gain panache during an encounter whenever you successfully Feint or Create a Diversion against a foe.

You climb or swim into position, astounding your foes with daring athletic feats. You are trained in Athletics. You start an encounter with panache if you rolled Athletics for initiative. You gain panache during an encounter whenever you successfully Grapple, Shove, or Trip a foe.

You know how to land your blows in just the right spot. When you have panache and you perform a Strike with an agile or finesse melee weapon or agile or finesse unarmed attack, you deal additional precision damage. If that Strike is part of a finisher, you deal an additional 2d6 precision damage; otherwise, you deal additional damage equal to the number of your precise strike dice (2 damage at 1st level).

As your swashbuckler level increases, so does the number of damage dice for your precise strike. Increase the number of dice by one at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels.

You can make an elegant finishing attack. You gain the Confident Finish action.

Finisher Swashbuckler

You make a graceful attack, piercing your foe’s defenses. Make a Strike with a weapon or unarmed attack that would apply your precise strike damage, with the following failure effect.

Failure You deal half your precise strike damage to the target. This damage type is that of the weapon or unarmed attack you used for the Strike.

You gain the Shield Block general feat, a reaction that lets you reduce damage with your shield.

At 1st level and every even-numbered level, you gain a swashbuckler class feat.

At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill feat. You must be trained or better in the corresponding skill to select a skill feat.

At 3rd level and every 4 levels thereafter, you gain a general feat.

Your physique is incredibly hardy. Your proficiency rank for Fortitude saves increases to expert.

Your flair lingers, and you can ride the wave of your panache for a bit longer after a finisher. You gain a powerful retort reaction called Opportune Riposte. You can perform a retort only if you used a finisher on your most recent turn or have panache, but if you didn’t perform a finisher on your most recent turn, you lose panache after using a retort.

Retort Swashbuckler

Trigger A foe within your reach critically fails a Strike against you.

You take advantage of an opening from your enemy’s attack. Make a melee Strike against the triggering foe or attempt to Disarm it.

When you’ve made an impression, you move even faster than normal, darting about the battlefield with incredible speed. Increase the status bonus to your Speeds when you have panache to a +10-foot status bonus. This increases by 5 feet for every 4 levels you have beyond 3rd.

In addition to the ancestry feat you started with, you gain an ancestry feat at 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter.

You’ve dedicated yourself to learning the intricacies of your weapons. Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons and martial weapons and unarmed attacks increase to expert. You gain access to the critical specialization effects of all weapons for which you have expert proficiency.

You perform your finishers with spectacular flair, adding special effects to your finishers. If a Strike you make as part of a finisher hits a foe, you add the following effect, based on your swashbuckler’s style.

Braggart: If the foe was temporarily immune to your Demoralize, they are no longer temporarily immune.

Fencer: The foe is flat-footed until the start of your next turn.

Gymnast: You can Step as a free action after the finisher.

You perform swashbuckling techniques with exceptional flair, making them harder to resist. Your proficiency rank for your swashbuckler class DC increases to expert.

Through your adventures, you’ve developed keen awareness and attention to detail. Your proficiency rank for Perception increases to master.

Your ability to elude danger is matchless. Your proficiency rank for Reflex saves increases to legendary. When you roll a critical failure on a Reflex save, you get a failure instead. When you roll a failure on a Reflex save against a damaging effect, you take half damage.

You’ve learned how to dodge while wearing light or no armor. Your proficiency ranks for light armor and unarmored defense increase to expert.

You fully understand your weapons. Your proficiency ranks for simple and martial weapons and unarmed attacks increase to master.

Your damage from weapon specialization increases to 4 with weapons and unarmed attacks in which you’re an expert, 6 if you’re a master, and 8 if you’re legendary.

You inflict particularly devastating attacks on even the best-defended foes. When you Strike with a weapon or unarmed attack for which you have master proficiency, you critically succeed if you roll a 19 on the die as long as that result is a success. This has no effect on a 19 if the result is a failure.

You’ve steeled your mind with resolve. Your proficiency rank for Will saves increases to master. When you roll a success on a Will save, you get a critical success instead.

Your skill with light armor improves, increasing your ability to dodge blows. Your proficiency ranks for light armor and unarmored defense increase to master.

As a swashbuckler at the peak of your skill, you swell with confidence and bravado that exudes to every attack you make. Your proficiency rank for your swashbuckler class DC increases to master. When you make a Strike with any of your finishers or retorts using an agile or finesse melee weapon or agile or finesse unarmed attack, you can choose to give the Strike the failure effect from the Confident Finisher feat, including the increase from Precise Finisher if you have that feat.

At each level that you gain a swashbuckler feat, you can select one of the following feats. You must satisfy any prerequisites before selecting the feat.

1st Level

Swashbuckler

Trigger A creature targets you with an attack and you can see the attacker.

Requirements You are not encumbered.

You deftly dodge out of the way, gaining a +2 circumstance bonus to AC against the triggering attack.

Swashbuckler

Prerequisite(s) trained in Deception

When you trick a foe, instead of catching them off guard, you goad them into overextending their next attack. On a Feint, you can use the following Success and Critical Success effects instead of any other effects you would gain when you Feint; if you do, other abilities that normally adjust the effects of your Feint no longer apply. You can choose a different effect each time you Feint against a given foe.

Critical Success The target takes a –2 circumstance penalty to all attack rolls against you before the end of its next turn.

Success The target takes a –2 circumstance penalty to its next attack roll against you before the end of its next turn.

Swashbuckler

You tumble under and behind your foe to catch them off guard. When you successfully Tumble Through, the foe whose space you Tumbled Through is flat-footed against the next attack you make before the end of your turn.

Emotion Fear Mental Swashbuckler

Prerequisite(s) trained in Intimidation; Trigger You reduce an enemy to 0 Hit Points.

After downing a foe, you menacingly remind another foe that you’re coming after them next. Attempt an Intimidation check with a +2 circumstance bonus to Demoralize a single creature that you can see and that can see you. If you have legendary proficiency in Intimidation, you can use this as a free action with the same trigger.

2nd Level

Swashbuckler

You’ve learned a flexible way to position your buckler to provide as much benefit as a normal shield provides. When you Raise a Shield to gain a circumstance bonus to AC from a buckler, increase the bonus from +1 to +2.

Swashbuckler

Prerequisite(s) Charisma 14; Trigger You attempt a saving throw, but you haven’t rolled yet.

When exposed to a sudden danger, you have a strange knack for coming out on top. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to the triggering save.

Swashbuckler

Your brazen style makes the most of parrying weapons. When you use the Interact action with a weapon that has the parry trait to gain a circumstance bonus to AC, increase the bonus from +1 to +2.

Swashbuckler

When your finisher downs your foe, doing so maintains your swagger. If your finisher brings the target of your Strike to 0 Hit Points (or brings the highest-level target to 0 Hit Points, if your finisher allows you to attack multiple targets), you do not lose your panache at the start of your next turn.

Finisher Swashbuckler

You attack with a dazzling strike that leaves your target off balance. Make a melee Strike. If you hit and deal damage, the target is flat-footed until the end of your next turn.

4th Level

Swashbuckler

Your taunts and threats strike home particularly hard, and your foes can’t shake your words unless they act on their anger. When you successfully Demoralize a creature, its frightened condition can’t decrease to less than 1 at the end of its turn until it either uses a hostile action against you or can no longer observe or sense you for at least 1 full round.

Swashbuckler

Prerequisite(s) expert in Athletics

Your panache allows you to perform incredible feats: climbing, swimming, and leaping far beyond your normal capacity. While you have panache, you gain the following benefits.

You gain a climb Speed and swim Speed equal to half your land Speed.
The DC of High Jumps and Long Jumps decreases by 10 from the original DC. This doesn’t combine with similar abilities like Raging Athlete.
The distance you can move with a vertical Leap increases to 5 feet. Your distance for a horizontal Leap increases to 15 feet if your Speed is at least 15 feet, or to 20 feet if your Speed is at least 30 feet.

Impaling Finish [one-action] Feat 4

Finisher Swashbuckler

You lunge forward and stab two foes with a single thrust. Make a melee Strike with a piercing weapon or piercing unarmed attack and compare the attack roll result against the AC of up to two foes. One foe must be adjacent to you, and the other foe must be adjacent to and directly behind the first foe, in a straight line from your space. Roll damage once and apply it to each creature you hit. An Impaling Finish counts as two attacks when calculating your multiple attack penalty.

Swashbuckler; Trigger You are about to roll initiative.

You bring your verve and swagger to every fight and somehow meet even an ambush with a weapon in your hand. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your initiative roll and can Interact to draw a weapon.

6th Level

Swashbuckler

Trigger A creature within your reach uses a manipulate action or a move action, makes a ranged attack, or leaves a square during a move action it’s using.

You swat a foe that leaves an opening. Make a melee Strike against the triggering creature. If your attack is a critical hit and the trigger was a manipulate action, you disrupt that action. This Strike doesn’t count toward your multiple attack penalty, and your multiple attack penalty doesn’t apply to this Strike.

Swashbuckler

You’ve learned to combine a series of attacks with a powerful finishing blow. Your finishers’ Strikes have a lower multiple attack penalty: –4 (or –3 with an agile weapon) instead of –5 if they’re the second attack on your turn, or –8 (or –6 with an agile weapon) instead of –10 if they’re the third or subsequent attack on your turn.

Swashbuckler

Prerequisite(s) vivacious speed

You know how to conserve the ebullient energy of your panache, allowing you to retain some of your additional speed. Even when you don’t have panache, you gain half the status bonus to your Speed that you would gain when you have panache, rounded down to the nearest 5 feet.

Swashbuckler

Prerequisite(s) Confident Finish

Even when your foe avoids your Confident Finish, you can still hit a vital spot. On a failure with Confident Finish, you use your full precise strike damage instead of half.

Swashbuckler

You tumble around your foes, expertly avoiding their reactions. Stride up to half your Speed and roll an Acrobatics check. Compare the result of the Acrobatics check to the Reflex DC of each foe whose reach you began in or enter during the movement, in sequence. If you succeed against any foe, you gain panache.

Critical Success This movement doesn’t trigger reactions from the foe, and the foe is flat-footed to you until the end of your turn.

Success This movement doesn’t trigger reactions from the foe.

Critical Failure Your movement immediately stops when you enter the creature’s reach; if you began in the creature’s reach, you don’t move.

8th Level

Finisher

Swashbuckler

You deal a finishing blow that leaves profuse bleeding. Make a slashing or piercing Strike with a weapon or unarmed attack that allows you to add your precise strike damage. If you hit, the target also takes persistent bleed damage equal to your precise strike damage dice.

Swashbuckler

Prerequisite(s) Nimble Dodge

You throw yourself into a roll to escape imminent danger. You can use Nimble Dodge before attempting a Reflex save, in addition to its original trigger. If you do, the circumstance bonus applies to your Reflex save against the triggering effect.

When you use Nimble Dodge and the triggering attack fails or critically fails, or when you succeed or critically succeed at the saving throw, you can also Stride up to 10 feet as part of the reaction. If you do, the reaction gains the move trait. You can use Nimble Roll while Flying or Swimming instead of Striding if you have the corresponding movement type.

Finisher Swashbuckler

Requirements You are wielding two melee weapons, one in each hand.

You flourish your weapons and perform powerful attacks against two different foes. Make two Strikes, one with each of your two melee weapons, each against a different foe adjacent to you. If the second Strike is made with a non-agile weapon, it takes a –2 penalty. Increase your multiple attack penalty only after attempting both Strikes.

Swashbuckler

Requirements You have panache.

Your panache swells your ego with bravado, granting you a temporary reprieve from your pain. You gain temporary Hit Points equal to your level plus your Charisma modifier that last as long as you have panache.

10th Level

Retort Swashbuckler

Trigger You take damage that would reduce you to 0 Hit Points.

Somehow you always escape the reaper by a hair’s breadth. You avoid being knocked out or killed and remain at 1 Hit Point, but you become doomed 1 (or increase your doomed value by 1 if you were already doomed). The increased doomed condition from Cheating Death lasts for 10 minutes, though this doesn’t affect the duration of any other doomed condition you have.

Fortune Swashbuckler

Prerequisite(s) swashbuckler’s style that gains panache from a skill action

When you execute the skill associated with your swashbuckler’s style above and beyond what is necessary to gain panache, the universe always seems to smile on you. When you already have panache, if you perform a skill action that would normally give you panache on a success, you can roll twice and use the higher result on your check.

Finisher Swashbuckler

Your finishers both harm and hinder your foe. Choose a particular part of your foe from the list below and Strike. If you hit and damage the target, apply the effect corresponding with the chosen part. This hindrance lasts until the end of your next turn.

Arm (or another limb used for attacks, such as tentacle): The target is enfeebled 1.

Head: The target is stupefied 1.

Legs: The target takes a –10-foot status penalty to its Speeds.

12th Level

Stance Swashbuckler

Requirements You are wielding a buckler.

You enter a stance where you dance and spin to bring your buckler between you and every attack. While you are in this stance, you constantly have your buckler raised as if you’d used the Raise a Shield action, as long as you meet that action’s requirements.

Finisher Fortune Swashbuckler

You focus your panache into an ineluctable assault, closing off every potential avenue for escape. Make a Strike, rolling the attack roll twice and using the better result.

Stance Swashbuckler

Requirements You are wielding a weapon that has the parry trait.

You parry every attack with a flurrying storm of parries. While you are in this stance, you constantly have the benefits of spending an Interact action to gain a circumstance bonus to AC from the required parry weapon.

14th Level

Finisher Swashbuckler

You’re in constant motion as you deliver a powerful finishing attack. You Stride and then Strike. You can use Mobile Finisher while Burrowing, Climbing, Flying, or Swimming instead of Striding if you have the corresponding movement type.

Swashbuckler

You can riposte almost without a thought. At the start of each of your turns when you regain your actions, you gain an additional reaction that can be used only to perform a retort.

16th Level

Swashbuckler

Your attacks with graceful weapons are especially powerful. When you score a critical hit with an agile or finesse melee weapon that has the deadly trait, you double the number of dice from that trait. When you wield an agile or finesse melee weapon that doesn’t have the deadly trait, it gains the deadly d8 trait instead.

Swashbuckler

Prerequisite(s) opportune riposte

Your ripostes can deflect attacks back at the originator. You can use Opportune Riposte with a trigger of “A foe outside of your reach critically fails an attack roll against you” in addition to its usual trigger. When you use Opportune Riposte with this new trigger against a ranged attack, your Strike deflects some of the triggering effect at its source. Compare the result of your attack roll to the AC of the triggering foe. On a hit, you deal the normal amount of damage for your Strike, but the damage type changes to that of the triggering attack. For instance, if you used Opportune Riposte to deflect a ray of frost, your Strike would deal cold damage instead of its normal damage.

18th Level

Fortune Swashbuckler

Prerequisite(s) Charmed Life

You’ve had so many close calls you hardly even notice them, and you always seem to bounce back from the worst situations. When you use Charmed Life, roll the save twice (including the +2 circumstance bonus from Charmed Life) and use the better result.

Fortune Swashbuckler

You take advantage of your enemy’s openings with uncanny odds. When you make an Opportune Riposte, roll twice on the attack roll and take the better result.

20th Level

Swashbuckler

When you ride on the thrill of a finisher, you can respond to just about anything. At the start of each enemy’s turn, you gain an extra reaction you can use only to perform a retort. If not used, this additional reaction is lost at the end of that enemy’s turn.

Swashbuckler

You become a paragon of your swashbuckler’s style, constantly finding opportunities to perform stylish feats in the moments between others’ heartbeats and eye blinks. You are constantly quickened and can use the extra action to perform a single action specifically listed as an action that allow you to gain panache in your style, or other similar single actions at the GM’s discretion.

You’ll see these terms in many swashbuckler abilities.

Finisher: Finishers are spectacular finishing moves that use your panache. You can use a finisher only if you have panache, and you lose your panache immediately after performing a finisher. Once you use a finisher, you can’t use any actions that have the attack trait for the rest of your turn.

Some actions that have the finisher trait also grant an effect on a failure. Effects added on a failure don’t apply on a critical failure. If your finisher action succeeds, you can still choose to apply the failure effect instead. For example, you may wish to do this when an attack deals no damage due to resistance.

Retort: Retorts are powerful reactions you can use under certain circumstances. You can perform a retort only if you used a finisher on your most recent turn or if you have panache; if you didn’t perform a finisher, you lose your panache immediately after performing a retort.

Stance: A stance is a general combat strategy that you enter by using an action with the stance trait, and you remain in for some time. A stance lasts until you get knocked out, until its requirements (if any) are violated, until the encounter ends, or until you enter a new stance, whichever comes first. After you take an action with the stance trait, you can’t take another one for 1 round. You can enter or be in a stance only in encounter mode.

Witch

At 1st level, you gain the listed proficiency ranks in the following statistics. You are untrained in anything not listed unless you gain a better proficiency rank in some other way.

Trained in Perception

Trained in Fortitude

Trained in Reflex

Expert in Will

Trained in one skill determined by your first lesson

Trained in a number of additional skills equal to 2 plus your Intelligence modifier

Trained in simple weapons

Trained in unarmed attacks

Untrained in all armor

Trained in unarmored defense

Trained in spell attack rolls of your spellcasting tradition, determined by your first lesson

Trained in spell DCs of your spellcasting tradition, determined by your first lesson

6 + your Constitution modifier

You increase your maximum number of HP by this number at 1st level and every level thereafter.

Intelligence. At 1st level, your class gives you an ability boost to Intelligence.

You cast spells to change the course of battle. You use magical hexes to hamper your enemies and aid your allies.

You provide knowledge about a variety of topics, including a variety of magical matters.

You remain alert for magical traps and treasures, using spells to overcome obstacles.

You brew potions or create other magical items. You might seek to learn more about your patron or your powers.

Strive to learn more about your patron, its goals, and why it chose to empower you.
Seek out new sources of magic, like scrolls and spellbooks, to supplement the spells your patron provides.
View your familiar as a steadfast ally, a dear friend, or a necessary nuisance, depending on its personality.

Others Probably

Wonder about the nature of your patron and the source of your magic.
Appreciate your ability to aid them with magic, whether you do so directly or by hampering their adversaries.
Take care not to offend you, worrying that you’ll place a malicious hex on them if angered.

Table: Witch Advancement
Level	Class Features
1	Ancestry and background, familiar, first lesson, initial proficiencies, patron, witch spellcasting, cackle
2	Skill feat, witch feat
3	2nd-level spells, general feat, skill increase
4	Skill feat, witch feat
5	3rd-level spells, ability boosts, ancestry feat, magical fortitude, skill increase
6	Skill feat, witch feat
7	4th-level spells, expert spellcaster, general feat, skill increase
8	Skill feat, witch feat
9	5th-level spells, ancestry feat, lightning reflexes, skill increase
10	Ability boosts, skill feat, witch feat
11	6th-level spells, alertness, general feat, skill increase, weapon expertise
12	Skill feat, witch feat
13	7th-level spells, ancestry feat, defensive robes, skill increase, weapon specialization
14	Skill feat, witch feat
15	8th-level spells, ability boosts, general feat, master spellcaster, skill increase
16	Skill feat, witch feat
17	9th-level spells, ancestry feat, resolve, skill increase
18	Skill feat, witch feat
19	General feat, legendary spellcaster, patron’s gift, skill increase
20	Ability boosts, skill feat, witch feat

Class Features

You gain these abilities as a witch. Abilities gained at higher levels list the requisite levels next to their names.

Ancestry and Background

In addition to the abilities provided by your class at 1st level, you have the benefits of your selected ancestry and background.

Initial Proficiencies

At 1st level, you gain a number of proficiencies that represent your basic training. These proficiencies are noted at the start of this class.

You weren’t born with the power to cast spells, nor have you spent years in devotion to tomes or specific entities unlocking mystical secrets. Your power instead comes through an unknown being that has chosen you as its vessel to carry forth some equally unstated plan in the world. This entity is mysterious and distant, revealing only fragments of its identity and motivations over time, but it grants you spells and other magical powers through a familiar, which serves as a conduit for its power.

A patron might be a deity working outside their official hierarchy, a coven of powerful hags, a demigod seeking to avoid divine notice, a fey lord, an archdevil, or any similarly powerful entity, or perhaps multiple such figures working in tandem. As you gain more of your patron’s power, you might learn more about it—certain combinations of lessons suggest particular patrons or agendas—but patrons empower witches for their own secretive reasons, which they rarely reveal in full. After all, if an entity required a direct servitor, they could usually empower a cleric or a champion to pursue their agenda openly and require stricter adherence to their tenets.

Your patron has sent you a familiar, a mystical creature that teaches you lessons and spells. This familiar follows the core rules, though as it is a direct conduit between you and your patron, it is more powerful than the simple creatures most other spellcasters call their familiars. Your familiar gains an extra familiar ability, as well as an additional extra ability when you reach 6th, 12th, and 18th levels.

Your familiar is the source and repository of the spells your patron has bestowed upon you, and you must commune with your familiar to prepare your spells each day using your witch spellcasting (see below). Your familiar knows 10 cantrips and five 1st-level spells. You choose these spells from the common spells of the tradition determined by your first lesson or from other spells of that tradition you gain access to. Your familiar also learns the spell associated with your first lesson.

Each time you gain a level, your patron teaches your familiar two new spells of any level of spell you can cast, chosen from common spells of your first lesson’s tradition or other spells you gain access to. Your patron also teaches your familiar a new spell each time you learn a new lesson.

Your familiar can also learn new spells independently of your patron. It can learn any spell on your tradition’s spell list by physically consuming a scroll of that spell in a process that takes 1 hour. You can use the Learn a Spell exploration activity to prepare a special written version of a spell, which your familiar can then consume as if it were a scroll. A familiar can also gain spells from another witch’s familiar with the Learn a Spell activity: both familiars must be present for the entirety of the activity, the spell must be on your spellcasting tradition’s spell list, and you must provide materials for that activity in the form of an offering to the other familiar.

You can attempt to prepare spells from another witch’s familiar, but only if that familiar and their witch are willing and the spell appears on your tradition’s spell list. This uses the Borrow an Arcane Spell activity but isn’t limited to arcane spells; it instead uses the skill and tradition associated with your witch spellcasting.

If your familiar dies, your patron takes note. A new familiar appears during your next daily preparations, but this familiar’s magical connection to your patron is newly forged and still weak. When it appears, it knows only three cantrips and one spell per level, chosen from the spells your previous familiar knew. After 1 week, its connection to your patron is restored, and it recalls almost all the spells your previous familiar knew, though it loses one such spell for each spell level. These spells are determined randomly, but never include the spells your familiar learned through your lessons—your patron ensures your new familiar learns these spells.

A witch’s knowledge from their patron comes in the form of lessons. Each lesson teaches your familiar a new spell, adding it to the spells you can prepare using your witch spellcasting (see below). Some lessons might teach your familiar spells that are of a higher level than the highest level of spells you can cast from your spell slots; as usual, you won’t be able to prepare or cast these spells from your spell slots until you reach a higher level.

Each lesson also grants you a special ability called a hex. Hexes are a type of focus spell. It costs 1 Focus Point to cast a focus spell, and you start with a focus pool of 1 Focus Point. You refill your focus pool during your daily preparations, and you can do so again by spending 10 minutes using the Refocus activity to commune with your familiar.

Focus spells are automatically heightened to half your level rounded up. Focus spells don’t require spell slots, and you can’t cast them using spell slots (see Witch Spellcasting below). Certain feats can give you more focus spells and increase the size of your focus pool, though your focus pool can never hold more than 3 Focus Points.

Your first lesson is the most significant of all your patron’s teachings. In addition to providing your familiar a new spell and granting you a hex, this lesson also determines the tradition of your witch spellcasting (see below) and grants you the trained proficiency rank in the skill that corresponds with that tradition. Choose your first lesson from the options listed under Basic Lessons or from any other basic lessons to which you have access.

Witch Spellcasting

Using your familiar as a conduit, your patron provides you the power to cast spells. You can cast spells using the Cast a Spell activity, and you can supply material, somatic, and verbal components when casting spells.

At 1st level, you can prepare up to three 1st-level spells and five cantrips each morning from the spells your familiar knows (see below). Prepared spells remain available to you until you cast them or until you prepare your spells again. The number of spells you can prepare is called your spell slots.

As you increase in level as a witch, your number of spell slots and the highest level of spells you can cast from spell slots increase, shown in Table 4–2: Witch Spells per Day.

Some of your spells require you to attempt a spell attack roll to see how effective they are, or have your enemies roll against your spell DC (typically by attempting a saving throw). Since your key ability is Intelligence, your spell attack rolls and spell DCs use your Intelligence modifier.

When you get spell slots of 2nd level and higher, you can fill those slots with stronger versions of lower-level spells. This increases the spell’s level, heightening it to match the spell slot. Many spells have specific improvements when they are heightened to certain levels.

A cantrip is a special type of spell that doesn’t use spell slots. You can cast a cantrip at will, any number of times per day. A cantrip is always automatically heightened to half your level rounded up—this is usually equal to the highest level of spell you can cast as a witch. For example, as a 1st-level witch, your cantrips are 1st-level spells, and as a 5th-level witch, your cantrips are 3rd-level spells.

As a witch, you can extend your spells through simple laughter, whether malevolent or joyous.

Auditory Sonic

Requirements You have at least one spell active that has a sustained duration and affects ones or more targets, and you are not fatigued.

You gain the effects of Sustaining a Spell with one or more targets of that spell, as long as the targets can hear you Cackle. As when Sustaining a Spell, Cackling for more than 10 minutes (100 rounds) ends the spell and makes you fatigued unless the spell lists a different maximum duration. If your Cackle is disrupted, the spell immediately ends.

At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill feat. You must be trained or better in the corresponding skill to select a skill feat.

At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a witch class feat.

At 3rd level and every 4 levels thereafter, you gain a general feat.

At 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill increase. You can use this increase either to increase your proficiency rank to trained in one skill you’re untrained in, or to increase your proficiency rank in one skill in which you’re already trained to expert.

At 7th level, you can use skill increases to increase your proficiency rank to master in a skill in which you’re already an expert, and at 15th level, you can use them to increase your proficiency rank to legendary in a skill in which you’re already a master.

In addition to the ancestry feat you started with, you gain an ancestry feat at 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter.

Your patron’s power has increased your physical resiliency. Your proficiency rank for Fortitude saves increases to expert.

You’ve learned to better control the power your patron has granted you. Your proficiency ranks for spell attacks and spell DCs for your witch spellcasting increase to expert.

Your reflexes are lightning fast, helping you avoid danger. Your proficiency rank for Reflex saves increases to expert.

You remain alert to threats around you. Your proficiency rank for Perception increases to expert.

Through sheer experience, you’ve improved your technique with your weapons. Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons and unarmed attacks increase to expert.

The flow of magic through your spellcasting and your defensive training combine to help you get out of the way before an attack. Your proficiency rank in unarmored defense increases to expert.

You’ve achieved mastery over your patron’s magic. Your proficiency ranks for spell attacks and spell DCs for your witch spellcasting increase to master.

Communion with your familiar has steeled your mental fortitude. Your proficiency rank for Will saves increases to master. When you roll a success on a Will save, you get a critical success instead.

After long practice, you’ve perfected your command of the magic your patron provides. Your proficiency ranks for spell attacks and spell DCs for your witch spellcasting increase to legendary.

Your patron has granted you the power to command incredible works of magic. You gain a single 10th-level spell slot and can prepare a spell in that slot using witch spellcasting. Unlike with other spell slots, these spell slots can’t be used for abilities that let you cast spells without expending spell slots or abilities that give you more spell slots. You don’t gain more 10th-level spells as you level up, though you can take the Patron’s Truth feat to gain a second slot.

Your Level Cantrips 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 1 5 3 — — — — — — — — — 2 5 4 — — — — — — — — — 3 5 4 3 — — — — — — — — 4 5 4 4 — — — — — — — — 5 5 4 4 3 — — — — — — — 6 5 4 4 4 — — — — — — — 7 5 4 4 4 3 — — — — — — 8 5 4 4 4 4 — — — — — — 9 5 4 4 4 4 3 — — — — — 10 5 4 4 4 4 4 — — — — — 11 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 — — — — 12 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 — — — — 13 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 — — — 14 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 — — — 15 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 — — 16 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 — — 17 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 — 18 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 — 19 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 1* 20 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 1*

* The patron conduit class feature gives you a 10th-level spell slot that works a bit differently from other spell slots.

The following lessons are available to witches. Each lesson grants you a hex and teaches your familiar a new spell.

These lessons are the fundamental lessons available to all witches, regardless of the tradition of their spellcasting. Your first lesson also determines the tradition of your witch spellcasting, listed in parenthesis following the lesson name.

Lesson of Curses (Occult): You learn the evil eye hex, and your familiar learns daze.

Lesson of Fate (Occult): You learn the nudge fate hex, and your familiar learns augury.

Lesson of Snow (Primal): You gain the personal blizzard hex, and your familiar learns ray of frost.

Lesson of Life (Primal): You gain the life boost hex, and your familiar learns spirit link.

Lesson of Night (Occult): You gain the shroud of night hex, and your familiar learns sleep.

Lesson of Protection (Arcane): You gain the minor ward hex, and your familiar learns mage armor.

Lesson of Deceit (Arcane): You gain the beguile hex, and your familiar learns phantom pain.

You can select from these lessons when a feat or other effect grants you a greater lesson.

Lesson of the Elements: You gain the elemental betrayal hex, and your familiar learns summon elemental.

Lesson of Dreams: You learn the veil of dreams hex, and your familiar learns nightmare.

Lesson of Secrets: You learn the discern secrets hex, and your familiar learns secret page.

Lesson of Shadow: You learn the malicious shadow hex, and your familiar learns darkvision.

You can select from these lessons when a feat or other effect grants you a major lesson.

Lesson of Boundaries: You learn the draw boundary hex, and your familiar learns private sanctum.

Lesson of Ice: You learn the ice tomb hex, and your familiar learns wall of ice.

Lesson of Death: You learn the curse of death hex, and your familiar learns raise dead.

Lesson of Renewal: You learn the restorative moment hex, and your familiar learns field of life.

At each level that you gain a witch feat, you can select one of the following feats. You must satisfy any prerequisites before taking the feat.

1st Level

Witch

You can use the Craft activity to create potions. You immediately gain the formulas* for four common potions. At 4th level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain the formula for a new common potion.

If you have a familiar, you can have your familiar learn these formulas, rather than storing them in a formula book. Your familiar can learn new potion formulas in the same way it learns new spells, and these formulas are transferred from a slain familiar to a new familiar in the same way spells are.

You can brew a great deal of magic within your cauldron. When you Craft potions that normally have a batch size of four (like most potions), your batch size increases from four to six.

* Designer’s Note: The core rules contains a relatively small number of potions, and thus you’ll have some formulas you can’t create at lower levels. The Advanced Player’s Guide will introduce a number of new potions so you can select appropriate formulas at lower levels.

Abjuration Witch

Trigger A creature Casts a Spell that you have prepared.

When a foe Casts a Spell and you can see its manifestations, you can use your own magic to disrupt it. You expend a prepared spell to counter the triggering creature’s casting of that same spell. You lose your spell slot as if you had cast the triggering spell. You then attempt to counteract the triggering spell.

Special This feat has the trait corresponding to the tradition of spells you cast (arcane, natural, or occult).

Witch

You’ve learned to speak with your familiar and other creatures like it. You gain the effects of speak with animals, but only for creatures of the same family of animals as your familiar. For example, if your familiar were a cat, you could gain the effects of speak with animals for any cats (including leopards, lions, and tigers, among others). If your familiar ever changes to a different creature, you can’t use this ability for 1 week while you absorb your new familiar’s language.

Witch

You maintain a particular affinity for leafy plants. Your patron sends you a leshy familiar. If you already had a familiar, this leshy replaces your previous familiar, but the two familiars commune during the transition and the new familiar knows all the spells your previous familiar knew.

In addition, you gain the ability to see through leaves, vines, and other foliage. You do not take circumstance penalties to ranged spell attacks or Perception checks caused by foliage, and your targeted attacks don’t require a flat check to succeed against a target concealed only by such vegetation.

2nd Level

Concentrate Manipulate Metamagic Witch

Hiding your gestures and incantations within other speech and movement, you attempt to conceal the fact that you are Casting a Spell. If the next action you use is to Cast a Spell, attempt a Stealth check against one or more observers’ Perception DCs; if the spell has verbal components, you must also attempt a Deception check against the observers’ Perception DC. If you succeed at your check (or checks) against an observer’s DC, that observer doesn’t notice you’re casting a spell, even though material, somatic, and verbal components are usually noticeable and spells normally have sensory manifestations that would make spellcasting obvious to those nearby.

This ability hides only the spell’s spellcasting actions and manifestations, not its effects, so an observer might still see a ray streak out from you or see you vanish into thin air.

Witch

Prerequisite(s) a familiar

You infuse your familiar with additional magical energy. You can select two additional familiar or master abilities each day, in addition to the number you can usually select for your familiar.

Witch

You can instantly grow or shrink your hair, eyebrows, beard, or mustache up to several feet long and manipulate your hair for use as a weapon, though your control isn’t fine enough for more dexterous tasks. Your gain a hair unarmed attack that deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage, is in the brawling group, and has the agile, disarm, grapple, parry, and trip traits.

4th Level

Witch

Your nails are supernaturally long and sharp. You gain a claw unarmed attack that deals 1d6 slashing damage. Your claws are in the brawling group and have the agile and unarmed traits. You can etch your claws with runes with the same cost and restrictions as etching runes onto handwraps of mighty blows; runes etched onto your claws apply to both hands but not to other unarmed attacks.

Your nails have a strong connection to your hexes, allowing you to deliver hexes through your nails. When you successfully cast a hex that requires two actions or more to cast and that would normally target one foe with a range of at least 30 feet, if your target is within your reach, you can make a nails Strike against the foe before applying any effects of the hex. If the nails Strike misses, the hex has no effect against the foe.

Witch

Another lesson from your patron broadens your knowledge. Choose another basic lesson. You gain its associated hex, and your familiar learns the associated spell. Increase the number of Focus Points in your focus pool by 1.

Witch

Swamps and bogs are your preferred environs. When in swamps, mires, bogs, and similar terrain, you always gain the benefits of the Cover Tracks action, without moving at half your speed. You move at full Speed through difficult terrain from mud, bogs, and similar environmental features.

6th Level

Witch

Your patron grants you greater knowledge. Choose a greater lesson. You gain its associated hex, and your familiar learns the associated spell. Increase the number of Focus Points in your focus pool by 1.

Witch

8th Level

Witch

Prerequisite(s) a familiar

Your patron grants further knowledge to your familiar, allowing it to better apply itself at additional skills. Choose two skills other than Acrobatics and Stealth. Your familiar’s modifiers in these skills are equal to your level plus your spellcasting modifier, instead of just your level.

Witch

Prerequisite(s) Cauldron

You spend 10 minutes and 1 Focus Point brewing a special potion containing the power of one of your hexes that targets a creature. A creature that consumes this potion is targeted by the hex. If the hex has a sustained duration, you can Cackle into the bottle just before you seal it. If you do, the hex’ duration is extended as if you Cackled the round the hex was cast (typically this extends the duration by 1 round).

Any potion you create this way loses its power the next time you make your daily preparations. While the potion is in your possession, you can render it inert using a single action that has the concentrate trait. You can’t regain the Focus Point you spent to create the potion until the potion is consumed or loses its magic.

10th Level

Divination Mental Occult Witch

Prerequisite(s) occult witch spellcasting tradition

You gain the coven ability, gaining only the abilities to sense other members’ locations and conditions, or to sense what another member is sensing. You do not gain the elite adjustment once the coven has formed, and your coven must contain at least three hags for it to gain any granted spells or rituals.

Witch

Prerequisite(s) Cauldron

During your daily preparations, you can create a batch of two temporary potions using a formula you know. These potions follow the normal rules to Craft potions, with some additional restrictions. They must both be the same type of potion, and their level must be 6 or more levels lower than your level. Any potions you create this way become non-magical the next time you make your daily preparations. A temporary potion has no value.

If you have master proficiency in your tradition’s spell DCs, you can create a batch of three temporary potions during your daily preparations, and if you have legendary proficiency, you can create a batch of four temporary potions.

Witch

You can express your mirth to extend your spells even if your targets can’t hear your laughter. Your Cackle action loses the auditory trait, allowing you to use Cackle to extend a spell regardless of whether the spell’s targets can hear your Cackling. As Cackle is also a sonic effect, you still can’t use it in an area of complete silence.

12th Level

Witch

Your patron’s teachings have allowed you to achieve deeper focus than most. If you have spent at least 2 Focus Points since the last time you Refocused, you recover 2 Focus Points when you Refocus instead of 1.

Witch

Your patron grants you even greater secrets. Choose a major lesson. You gain its associated hex, and your familiar learns the associated spell. Increase the number of Focus Points in your focus pool by 1.

14th Level

Witch

Your patron grants you greater knowledge. Choose any basic, greater, or major lesson. You gain its associated hex, and your familiar learns the associated spell. Increase the number of Focus Points in your focus pool by 1.

Witch

Prerequisite(s) Counterspell

When you successfully use Counterspell to counteract a spell that affects targeted creatures or an area, you can turn that spell’s effect back on its caster. When reflected, the spell affects only the original caster, even if it’s an area spell or it would normally affect more than one creature. The original caster can attempt a save and use other defenses against the reflected spell as normal.

16th Level

Witch

Trigger Your turn begins.

You cackle to yourself constantly with hardly a thought. You immediately Cackle, allowing you to extend the duration of one of your active spells.

Witch

Frequency once per day

Requirements Your turn begins.

You draw upon the reservoir of your patron’s magic that resides within your familiar. During your turn, you can cast one spell your familiar knows that was granted by your patron (rather than spells your familiar learned from scrolls or other sources). After you Siphon Power, your familiar is fatigued and loses any of its familiar and master abilities, beyond those it naturally has that you must select each day, until your next daily preparations.

18th Level

Witch

Prerequisite(s) Patron’s Knowledge

Your patron teaches you yet another lesson. Choose any basic, greater, or major lesson. You gain its associated hex, and your familiar learns the associated spell. Increase the number of Focus Points in your focus pool by 1.

Witch

Prerequisite(s) Lesson Focus

Focus flows from your patron each time you. You can recover 3 Focus Points when you Refocus instead of 1 if you have spent at least 3 Focus Points since the last time you Refocused.

20th Level

Witch

The sound of your laughter continues to echo and reverberate through the area, extending your hexes with no effort on your part. When you Cackle, all hexes you have active with a sustained duration have their durations extended to a total duration of 1 minute or their maximum duration, whichever is shorter. Your echoing cackle can’t extend the duration longer than 1 minute, after that point you need to continue Cackling or Sustaining the Spell as normal. For spells that normally require a decision from you or create an effect when you Sustain them, if you rely on Echoing Cackle to Sustain them, the effects occur at the end of your turn, and they repeat whatever decisions you made on your last turn.

Witch

Prerequisite(s) patron’s gift

You have mastered the greatest secrets of your patron’s magic and learned a fundamental truth about your patron, even if their identity still remains a mystery. You gain an additional 10th-level spell slot.

Uncommon Emotion Enchantment Mental Witch

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Range 30 feet; Targets 1 creature

Saving Throw Will; Duration see below

With a few words, you trick the target into thinking they like you. The target must attempt a Will save. Regardless of the outcome, the target is then temporarily immune for 24 hours.

Critical Success The target knows you tried to trick it, and its attitude decreases by one step (from indifferent to unfriendly, for example).

Success The target is unaffected, but it doesn’t realize you tried to trick it.

Failure The target’s attitude toward you improves by one step (from friendly to helpful, for example). This effect lasts until after the next time you Refocus or after the next time the target rests for the day, whichever comes first.

Critical Failure As failure, except the target’s attitude improves by two steps

Uncommon Curse Emotion Enchantment Mental Witch

Cast [two-actions] somatic

Range 30 feet; Targets 1 creature

Saving Throw Will; Duration sustained up to 1 minute

Your fix your eye on the target, imposing a malevolent hex. The target becomes frightened based on the results of its Will save. This condition value can’t be reduced while the spell is active and you can see the target. Regardless of the outcome, the target is then temporarily immune for 24 hours.

Critical Success The target is unaffected.

Success The target is frightened 1.

Failure The target is frightened 2.

Critical Failure The target is frightened 3.

Uncommon Healing Necromancy Witch

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Range 30 feet; Targets 1 creature

Duration sustained up to 1 minute

You temporarily bolster the target’s vitality. The target gains fast healing equal to the spell level. The target is then temporarily immune for 24 hours.

Uncommon Abjuration Witch

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Range 30 feet; Targets 1 creature

Duration sustained up to 1 minute

You guard the target against attacks from a certain type of creature. Designate an ancestry trait or one of the following creature traits: aberration, animal, beast, celestial, construct, dragon, elemental, fey, fiend, fungus, monitor, ooze, plant, or undead. The target gains a +1 status bonus to Armor Class and saving throws against creatures with the designated trait. The target is then temporarily immune for 24 hours.

Heightened (6th) The status bonus increases to +2.

Uncommon Divination Witch

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Range 30 feet; Targets 1 creature

Saving Throw Will; Duration sustained up to 1 minute

You tug at the strands of fate, aiding an ally or hampering a foe. Choose either fortune or misfortune and one type of roll: attack roll, saving throw, skill check, or Perception. On the target’s next roll of that type while the spell persists, they must roll twice. If you chose fortune, the target uses the better result, and this effect gains the fortune trait. If you chose misfortune, the target must use the worse result unless it succeeds at a Will save, and this effect gains the misfortune trait. The spell then ends, and the target is temporarily immune for 24 hours.

Uncommon Conjuration Witch

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Range 30 feet; Targets 1 creature

Duration sustained up to 1 minute

You summon an isolated blizzard to follow your target. The target takes 1d4 cold damage each round. It is concealed to other creatures, and other creatures are concealed to it. In addition, the freezing sleet and heavy snowfall collect on the target’s feet and legs, making the target’s first square of movement each round difficult terrain. The target is then temporarily immune for 24 hours.

Heightened (+3) The cold damage each round increases by 1d4.

Uncommon Evocation Darkness Witch

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Range 30 feet; Targets 1 creature

Saving Throw Will; Duration sustained up to 1 minute

You shroud the target in perpetual night. The target’s space is blanketed in darkness; this effect covers only the target creature’s space and it moves with the target. Regardless of the outcome, the target is then temporarily immune for 24 hours.

Critical Success The target is unaffected.

Success Any light in the target’s space is dimmed to dim light. The target is concealed to creatures that don’t have low-light vision or darkvision, and other creatures are concealed to it unless it has low-light vision or darkvision.

Failure Any light in the target’s space winks out into darkness. The target is hidden to creatures that don’t have darkvision, and the target is blinded unless it has darkvision.

Critical Failure Any light in the creature’s space winks out into magical darkness that even darkvision can’t penetrate. The target is hidden to creatures that don’t have greater darkvision, and the target is blinded unless it has greater darkvision.

Uncommon Divination Witch

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Range 30 feet; Targets 1 creature

Duration 1 minute

You call upon otherworldly power to better uncover secrets. The target gains a +2 status bonus to Perception checks to Seek and Sense Motive.

Heightened (7th) The target gains a +3 bonus.

Heightened (10th) The target gains a +4 bonus.

Uncommon Attack Evocation Shadow Witch

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Range 30 feet; Targets 1 creature

Saving Throw Will; Duration sustained up to 1 minute

You reshape the target’s shadow into a deadly form, such as a weapon, strangling hands, harrying runes, or the like, and command it to attack the target. When you cast the spell, and each time you Sustain the Spell, the shadow makes a Strike against the target. The shadow moves along with the foe, always remaining within reach. This Strike uses and contributes to your multiple attack penalty.

The shadow’s Strikes are melee spell attacks. Regardless of its appearance, the shadow deals damage equal to 1d10 plus your spellcasting ability modifier. You choose the type of damage when you cast the spell, choosing from bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. No other statistics or traits apply. Despite making a spell attack, the shadow is a weapon for purposes of triggers, resistances, and so forth. It doesn’t take up space, grant flanking, or have any other attributes a creature would. The shadow can’t make any attack other than its Strike, and feats or spells that affect weapons do not apply to it.

The shadow vanishes if the target moves into an area of complete darkness or is ever exposed to bright light from two different sources. If the target or another effect is controlling the target’s shadow when you cast malicious shadow, you can attempt to counteract that effect to temporarily take control of the shadow, but the original effect resumes when malicious shadow ends.

Heightened (+2) The weapon’s damage increases by 1d10.

Uncommon Evocation Hex Witch

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Range 30 feet; Targets 1 creature

Saving Throw Fortitude; Duration sustained up to 1 minute

You call upon the elements to undermine your foe. If it fails its Fortitude save, the target creature gains weakness 3 to acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage, chosen when you cast this spell. On a critical failure, the weakness is doubled.

Heightened (+1) Increase the weakness by 1.

Uncommon Enchantment Hex Mental Witch

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Range 30 feet; Targets 1 creature

Saving Throw Will; Duration sustained up to 1 minute

You draw a veil of dreams over the target, causing daydreams, decreased concentration, and sluggishness. The target must attempt a Will save. Regardless of the outcome, the target is then temporarily immune for 24 hours.

Critical Success The target is unaffected.

Success The target takes a –1 status penalty to Perception and attack rolls.

Failure The target takes a –1 status penalty to Perception and attack rolls and is fatigued for the duration. Any time it performs a concentrate action, it must succeed at a DC 5 flat check or the action is disrupted

Critical Failure As failure, but the creature is also slowed 1 for the duration.

Uncommon Death Necromancy Witch

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Range 30 feet; Targets 1 creature

Saving Throw Fortitude; Duration sustained up to 1 minute

You intensify your malevolent gaze on a target, causing their heart to seize in dread. The effect is based on the target’s Fortitude save result.

Critical Success The target is unaffected.

Success The target takes 4d6 negative damage and is fatigued for the spell’s duration.

Failure The target is afflicted with the curse of death at Stage 1. The affliction (though not its effects) ends immediately once the spell’s duration ends.

Critical Failure As failure, but the target is afflicted at Stage 2.

Curse of Death (curse); Stage 1 4d6 negative damage and fatigued (1 round); Stage 2 8d6 negative damage and fatigued (1 round); Stage 3 12d6 negative damage and fatigued (1 round); Stage 4 death

Heightened (+1) Increase the negative damage taken on success and on all three stages of the curse by 1d6.

Uncommon Abjuration Witch

Cast [three-actions] material, somatic, verbal

Range 30 feet

Duration sustained up to 1 minute

You establish a boundary to prevent certain creatures from crossing. Cast chalk, sand, paint, powder, or another substance to form an unbroken line on the ground up to 20 feet long. This line can take any shape, including a circle. While drawing the line, choose one side of the line to be warded and designate one type of creature: aberration, celestial, elemental, fey, fiend, monitor, or undead. A creature with the designated trait can’t willingly cross the line to the warded side (including to make Strikes targeting a creature on the far side of the line) without succeeding at a Will save. Each time it attempts to cross the line, it must attempt a Will save; if it fails, it can’t cross the line during that action. A creature that doesn’t have the designated trait or that has succeeded at its Will save at least once can scuff a portion of the line with an Interact action, in which case the spell ends.

Heightened (+1) Increase the length of the line you can draw by 5 feet.

Uncommon Evocation Witch

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Range 30 feet; Targets 1 creature

Saving Throw Fortitude

Ice and frigid wind assail the target, freezing it solid. The icy assault deals 12d6 cold damage. After the effects are resolved, the target of ice tomb is temporarily immune for 24 hours.

Critical Success The target is unaffected.

Success The target takes half damage and is slowed 1 for 1 round.

Failure The target takes full damage, is slowed 1, and must attempt a Fortitude save at the end of each of its turns; this ongoing save has the incapacitation trait. On a failed save, the slowed condition increases by 1 (or 2 on a critical failure). A successful save reduces the slowed condition by 1. When a creature is unable to act for one full turn for any reason while ice tomb is in effect, they are completely encased in ice. This ice has Hardness 4 and 8 Hit Points; breaking the ice from the outside frees the creature and ends the slowed condition, but the target is stunned 1 and takes any damage dealt by the breaking effect in excess of the ice’s Hit Points. If the creature reduces its slowed condition and breaks its own way free, it doesn’t take any excess damage and isn’t stunned.

Critical Failure As failure, but the target takes double damage and is initially slowed 2.

Heightened (+1) Increase the cold damage by 2d6.

Uncommon Necromancy Witch

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal

Range 30 feet; Targets 1 creature

You manipulate the threads of time around the target, giving them some of the benefits of a day’s passage. The target decreases the values of any doomed and drained conditions they have by 1 and can choose whether to attempt ongoing saving throws against any afflictions they have with a stage length of 1 day or less. The target is then temporarily immune for 24 hours.

A witch’s patron is a mysterious entity, rarely known or understood even by the witch in that patron’s service. The details of the relationship between a witch and their patron can serve as rich details for character development and storytelling. When playing a witch, you should work with your GM to determine the nature of your patron and how much of that nature you know, both as a player and a character.

For a character who truly doesn’t know their patron, you might have your GM choose which lessons your witch learns, as the patron chooses what powers to bestow upon its emissary—and these lessons could provide clues to your patron’s nature. You could instead give your GM a list of lessons you’d like for your character and let the GM choose, representing a negotiation between your witch and the patron. of course, you can also simply choose the lessons you most prefer and let the GM tailor the identity of your patron accordingly.

Another approach is for you to craft the details of your witch’s patron yourself. You can then provide those details to the GM to incorporate into a larger narrative—or even just to provide some flavor for your character, such as a familiar’s distinctive quirks. Your character might still remain ignorant of that patron’s identity, even if you as a player know. Perhaps your character knows the nature of their patron but is cursed to never reveal that information to others. You might have willingly sworn a pact to your patron but fear the repercussions should others learn of that pact. Or perhaps you and your patron are entirely forthcoming about your relationship.

There are countless ways to handle a witch’s patron. Every witch is different, and no explanation is wrong so long as it’s fun and engaging for everyone involved!

You’ll see the following key term in many witch class features.

Metamagic: Actions with the metamagic trait tweak the properties of your spells. These actions usually come from metamagic feats. You must use a metamagic action directly before Casting the Spell you want to alter. If you use any action (including free actions and reactions) other than Cast a Spell directly after, you waste the benefits of the metamagic action. Any additional effects added by a metamagic action are part of the spell’s effect, not of the metamagic action itself.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

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